She dreams An Ariel and OC fic
by Leah Day
Summary: Will Ariel do the unthinkable to save her marriage and child? Rated M. Warning-Eric and Ariel shippers will not like this. And yep, there are OC's. I do not believe in Mary Sues and Gary Stues, it is my personal choice. Contains slash.
1. Part 1

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She dreams

By Leah

_**Summary**_

Although the sea witch is dead, Ariel dreams about her.

Hello everyone, this is my first TLM ditty. The fic is set in between the first and second film.

I noticed that there was an extreme lack of Ursula related fics on , hence one of the many reasons why I felt like typing this out.

_**Disclaimer**_

I do not own a thing. If I did, Ursula and Triton would not be related. The whole brother and sister thing really ticked me off!

Rated PG 15 just to be safe. Also, this fic is written in Australian grammar.

_**Ariel and Eric's bed chamber**_

She dreams about that visit. Her visit to the witch's lair. Her dreams are always the same. A series of memories connected together. All leading up to one singular moment.

She dreams about the eel's persuasion and the long exhausting journey to the long dead sea beast's black, blue, and pink carcass that was Ursula's home.

She dreams about the screaming and wailing of the polyps trapped forever for they were unable to pay the price for the witch's services.

She dreams about the voice. Ursula's voice. The low, husky tones full of power, full of promise. Sometimes patronising. Sometimes jolly. Sometimes urgent.

She dreams about the first spell. The flashes of light, the gigantic green hand swiftly snaking around her thin waist whilst its twin ripped her voice from her throat. She dreams about the hunger on Ursula's lavender face as the witch gleefully trapped her glowing voice within the golden seashell necklace that hung around her thick neck, nestled between her plump, ebony breasts.

She dreams about the second spell that gave her humanity and writhes slightly in her sleep as if she can still feel the ripping, searing pain she had felt when her long, green fish tail had been mercilessly torn apart in order to create the long, slender legs of a human girl.

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With a gasp, the princess jolted out of the dream. Trembling, panting and sweating, the former maiden of the ocean looked franticly about her surroundings. When she felt assured that all seemed safe and well, Ariel allowed herself to relax.

The prince lying beside her stirred restlessly in his sleep, mumbling something she did not understand, then to her profound relief, resumed his slumber.

She smiled sadly, reaching out to brush a lock of black hair from his eyes.

As much as she loved him, the princess had long ago vowed that she would never tell Eric about her dreams. She does not, for one moment, believe that he will understand for he is too sweet, too innocent. He is exactly the way she was before the eels had approached her, telling her how they could bring her to the one being that could help free her from her salty, watery cell.

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Along with her voice, Ursula had taken something else away from Ariel.

Without even knowing it, the witch had taken the young royal's naivety, her girlish innocence, thus leaving Ariel feeling older, wiser, in control.

Rising from the bed, the princess quietly padded over to a nearby table and poured herself a goblet of water.

'_You've empowered me,'_ the young woman thought.

She smiled inwardly.

How ironic it seemed. Ursula hadn't been planning for that. Of course not! She was to be the one with the power and no one else.

Ariel looked to the window, quietly observing the full moon, listening to the soft crashing of the ocean's waves.

The dreams had started on the night after their wedding night. She remembered waking up, screaming wildly with fear, shocking her poor husband so much he had crossed himself.

After that, things changed. Little by little, she began to embrace the dreams whole-heartedly.

These dreams. These once horrific, unwelcome dreams served as a reminder of the girl she once was, of the woman she is now.

She feels the power within the nighttime fantasy and finds much enjoyment in it. But sometimes, just sometimes, she is still afraid.

The power she feels is strong, black, and seductive. Ariel is not a fool, not any more, She knows she must be wary or the power will consume her soul and damn her forever.

'_Perhaps if I have a boy the dreams will no longer be necessary,' _Ariel thought.

If she whelped a boy, an heir for Eric, then empowerment from dark fantasies would no longer be required. She could rest easy. She could lose control for a little while. She would no longer have to feed on memories of old.

Taking a last sip of water, Ariel gently placed the goblet on the table and returned to her prince.

For a time she lay beside him, staring at the ceiling, breathing slowly in and out, in and out. Waiting ever so patiently for sleep to come so she can fall into a cold, black abyss and feel the power of the now deceased witch of the sea wash over her once again.

_**The end**_

_**Authors note**_

Hello! You have now reached the end of the ficcy!

I wanted to write something dark and short about my favourite pairing Ursula and Ariel that wasn't slashy. Not to say that I wouldn't want to write something slashy for them because I do enjoy slash, but to be comfy enough to write it I'd have to make the story very AU. EG, make Ariel older; change her relation to Ursula, etc, etc.

This wee ditty isn't about Ariel being seduced by Ursula, but Ariel dreaming about the darker side of things and remembering how being in Ursula's lair had changed her life for good. Basically, she is learning from these dreams and is hesitant to do something about stopping them for she believes that remembering the experience in a dream like fashion will continue to empower her.

Just to keep things realistic, I've made Ariel a bit scared. I don't think she would be Ariel if she weren't.

The bit about Ariel wanting to give Eric a son was inspired by _"The Tudors"_ Back then I think any girl married to a future king would have felt at least a little bit insecure when it came to the whole heir thing, thus making Ariel even more vulnerable to black magic.

Please note, I am not anti Eric. He's an ok character. Just not my favourite. I think he is, despite the bravery would possibly chuck a massive wobbly if he knew the woman he loves was secretly enjoying dreaming about the woman who tried to kill them, hence why Ariel does not dare mention her dreams to him.

Well, that's it from me. Thank you for reading  Leah.


	2. Part 2

_**She dreams part 2**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Starting a few years after _"She dreams," _

_**Disclaimer**_

I do not own a thing. Rated M for minor to strong sexual references. Written in Australian and UK grammar.

Note, Eric and Ariel shippers will not like this story. Please do not flame me, I do not have time for childish bullies.

I originally planned not to continue on with this story, but after a while had gone by, I had some ideas that were too good not to use.

So, here we go!

_**Ursula's lair**_

This … This was different. This was … Disconcerting.

Ariel bit her lip, wondering why her dream had changed. Also, wondering why she was aware she was dreaming?

"Sweetcakes."

The merwoman swung around to see Ursula leering at her from above.

"You're dead," Ariel whispered, utterly shocked,

"Mmm, clever observation," Ursula chuckled. She heaved her heavy body off her perch, gliding with easy grace toward Ariel who shrunk back in a mixture of fear and revulsion.

"Yessss, I am dead," the witch confirmed in a lazy drawl. "No thanks to your dear princie, and-"

"His name is Eric!" Ariel snapped defensively.

"Whatever," Ursula waved her hand dismissively, adding. "I suppose you are wondering why you're not dreaming the usual dream, hmmm?"

Ariel didn't answer.

"Something's coming up," Ursula revealed, excitement glittering like diamonds in her eyes. "You have a bun in the oven, princess."

Ariel felt the skin on the back of her neck prickle.

"How did you-"  
"Know? Oh my dear, sweet lady! I've been keeping an eye on you!"

Too shocked for words, Ariel put a hand to her mouth, her eyes growing wider and wider every passing moment.

The witch laughed at the princess's reaction and performed a pirouette, spreading her black tentacles out wide.

"I know something else as well," she added gleefully.

"What?" Ariel asked nervously.

"Your darling boy won't want you after the baby's born. He'll be so disappointed. Hmmm, who knows? He might even leave you for another girl!"

"Eric would never do that!" Ariel shouted defiantly, fists balling tightly. "He loves me just as much as I love him!"

"Still so naïve!" Ursula mocked, chuckling. Her lavender face then took on a smug, knowing look. "You'll soon see sense, princess. Ta, ta!"

"Wait!" Ariel cried, franticly! "I don't understand! Wait!"

_**Eric and Ariel's bed chamber.**_

"Ariel, Ariel! Wake up!"

Shaking violently, the terrified young woman shot up in the luxurious king sized bed.

"Ariel?"

The former princess of the ocean swung wildly to her husband, eyes wide, face pale.

"It's alright," he whispered, sitting up beside her, putting a hand on her trembling shoulder. "It's alright."

The young man continued speaking to his woman, rubbing her arm and back till she seemed to have regained most of her composure.

"Lie down," he encouraged, patting the bare space beside him. "Come on."

Ariel smiled tiredly and lay beside her husband, curling into a ball, watching him with sleepy but alert eyes.

"Do you love me?" she asked after a few moments.

Eric stared at her, surprised that she would even think of asking such a question.

"I-"

Like one possessed, she suddenly lurched forward, grasping his arms.

"Eric, do you love me?" she pressed, digging her fingers into his arms.

"Of course I do, you know I do."

Such sweet relief flowed into Ariel like a cold river. She closed her eyes, wrapt her slender arms around his neck then kissed him.

It was a small, gentle, kiss. Then it grew deeper.

Hungrily, the woman ran her slender pale fingers through her husband's thick, black hair, pressing her lithe body against his own.

"The baby," Eric mumbled against her lips. "Are you-"

"Shh," Ariel whispered. "Our baby will be just fine."

She kissed him again and again whilst The man groaned against her hot mouth, feverishly putting his hands up her skirt.

"I want you," she gasped. N-now."

He kissed her swiftly then slid inside her.

The woman arched, groaning as his manhood filled her.

"Ready?" he asked.

Ariel grinned back at him.

"I was born ready for you," she replied.

* * *

Eric woke the next morning tired but satisfied. Ariel was lying beside him, sleeping soundly. Long crimson hair, cascading over her face and shoulder like a bloody waterfall.

The young man leaned over her, sweeping the silky hair aside and kissed her cheek.

"See you soon," he told her.

Ariel's response to that was a sleepy moan.

Covering his mouth with his hand, Prince Eric yawned widely then heaved himself out of bed, eager to begin the day's business.

* * *

Grimsby was already waiting for him in the outer chamber.

"Ah, Eric!" the tall, older man greeted upon seeing the approaching royal. "I trust you slept well?"

"I did," Eric replied, stretching.

The Englishman pinched his nose.

"And, how is your wife? The baby?"

"They're both fine," Eric assured, helping himself to a bowl of fresh green pipless grapes. "The physician is scheduled for a visit this afternoon."

Grimsby nodded.

"Understood, understood. Now, I will have your bath made up for you. Should I have Carlotta rouse the princess?"

Eric shook his head.

"No, let her sleep," he said, "She didn't sleep well last night."

"I see." Grimsby took out his silk handkerchief and blew into it. "Well, I will see you later, Eric. There's much to discuss today, much to discuss."

_**Eric and Ariel's presence chamber**_

"Eric, as you already know, things haven't been all that well lately in the kingdom."

"Grimsby," the royal groaned then spoke in a frustrated tone. "Ariel is trying as hard as she can. It's not her fault she's having difficulties keeping a baby."

"I am not blaming the princess, but you must understand that something has to be done, Eric. Your father's poor health. The princesses' miscarriages. The fishing ban. Eric … People may lose their entire respect for this family unless something is done. A strong, living male heir will be welcome news. It will keep you in favour with the people."

Eric stared at his advisor for a long time then sighed, raking a hand through his black locks.

"I'm going to see father," he murmured at last. "We'll talk later."

"Will you at least tell the princess of our troubles," the Englishman inquired behind his back. "In the gentlest of ways possible, of course," he added quickly when the younger man gave him a look of cold warning.

"What ever you want, Grim," Eric muttered.

_**The stable yard**_

The redhead laughed lightly when the tall dun gelding nuzzled her neck.

"Good boy," she praised. "Such a good boy."

The equine nickered.

Golden, was a gift from Eric for her seventeenth birthday. A rather curious colour for a horse. Not your usual grey, black, bay, or chestnut and he was much taller then the small fancy horses noble women chose to ride.

Still, he had a lovely temperament, reminding her of the black sea horse mare she rode when visiting her father's palace.

"Which reminds me," she murmured to herself.

Giving Golden a final pat on the neck and sugar lump, Ariel left him with the groom, picked up her skirt and hurried back to the palace with the intention to speak to her husband.

_**Eric and Ariel's Presence Chamber**_

Ariel soon found her prince talking with Grimsby. To her puzzlement, Eric seemed strained and irritated whilst Grim was imploring.

What was going on?

Nervously, she put a hand to her belly. The child in her womb squirmed and kicked as if sensing her moment of slight unease.

Taking a deep breath, Ariel pasted a smile on her mouth and glided into the chamber.

"Ah, princess!" Grimsby said when seeing her. "How radiant you look, and round too I must say!"

Ariel felt her cheeks colour and bowed her head.

Eric smiled weakly at her then looked at her stomach.

"How is our little survivor today?" he asked, his voice still oddly strained.

"Very well," Ariel replied, flashing Eric a brilliant smile before addressing their advisor.

"Can I borrow Eric for a few moments, Grimsby?" she asked. "I just need to talk to him in private."

The older man bowed.

"Of course, your highness," he said then looked to Eric. "I will see you later, Eric?"

The prince nodded.

"This afternoon," he said, his tone giving an indication that he was not looking forward to it.

As soon as Grimsby had left the chamber, Ariel reached for Eric's hand.

"I'm visiting father for a few days rather then one," she told him. "Is that alright?"

Her husband offered her another weak smile.

"Sure."

She frowned at him.

"What's wrong?"

He squeezed her hand.

"It's nothing too gigantic, Father's cold is taking a toll on him." He rubbed wearily at his eyes. "Grim is just making mountains out of mole hills like he usually does when one of us comes down with something."

Ariel reached up, touching his face, trailing her fingers along his masculine, yet beautiful jaw line.

"Do you want me to stay?" she asked softly.

He smiled, covering her hand with his own.

"You need to see your father," he murmured gently. "They've done so well with keeping this little one alive for so long." He reached out, stroking her belly. "How much longer to go?"

"Not long. Are you still sure you don't want to know what it is?"

Her husband laughed, shaking his head.

"I'd rather be surprised," he told her, "you can find out if you want."

Affectionately, he brushed his full lips against her warm, rosy cheek. "Come home soon."

She kissed him soundly on the mouth.

"I'll always come back to you," she vowed.

_**The rock pool**_

Setting her silk shift and shoes onto a nearby boulder, Ariel slipt a foot into the pool, delighting at the warmth of the salty water.

The water suddenly rippled, and the head of her best friend popped out.

"Ariel!" Flounder cried, excited.

The woman smiled warmly then, mindful of her baby, walked into the pool and sat down, sighing as her father's power changed her legs into her old green tail.

After the wedding, the sea king enchanted certain areas of the ocean, should his daughter wish to return, no matter how briefly, to his under water realm.

For this favour, Ariel was glad. She knew despite all this time, her father still found humans other then Eric and Grimsby disconcerting, and preferred to keep to his own kingdom as often as possible.

"Come on! Come on!" Flounder cried, leaping up and down, the excitement making him ignorant of her condition, everyone is waiting!"

"Don't be such a bossy Guppy!" Ariel teased playfully, giggling. "I'm allowed to take my time." She made a face, cheekily mimicking her human English midwife. "For I am with child and cannot over tire myself!"

Flounder nearly pouted, thus making the young princess giggle at him.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

_**Somewhere in the ocean**_

"Ohhh, we have such big plans for you, dear little princess!" an unctuous voice purred watching Ariel and Flounder swim speedily toward King Triton's palace.

"Is everything prepared?" A new voice inquired. It was calmer then the other, but only slightly. Underneath that cool, calm and collected tone was a bubble of impatience just waiting to burst.

"Yessss! Before the year is out, she will come begging for us to help her! I know she will!"

"You had better be right. Or there _will_ be Hell to pay."

_**The palace dining room**_

"You want me to do _what_?" Eric nearly shouted.

"Now steady buffs, my boy," the king growled ominously.

"Eric, please be reasonable!" the queen implored, exasperated. "We are not asking for you to take a new wife straight away. Just look at what is on offer. Think what is best for this realm."

"I can hardly believe you! Either of you! Ariel has been gone for two days and you're doing this behind her back!"

"We are not doing anything that would hurt her," Eric's mother insisted calmly. "Should you decide to take a new wife, Ariel will be well compensated. She will become your sister. We will treat her with every respect and dignity. Should she want to return to her own family and people, we will endeavour to strike an arrangement with her father so that our fishermen can be put back into action."

Eric continued to stare at his mother and father, shocked and disgusted.

"He will never agree to it," he managed at last. "The same way he refused to a public consummation of our marriage, he will say no!"

"Not if we promised not to fish in his neck of the ocean, Eric," his father pointed out. "He's hot headed, true, but he is reasonable."

"With respect, father, mother. The baby hasn't even been born yet," Eric snarled, glaring fiercely at his parents and at Grimsby who had so far said nothing.

"True," the king agreed. "But there is a chance the same misfortune that fell on your previous children could fall onto this one."

"Or worse," the queen added gravely. "It could be deformed. It could be a girl."

"A girl on this throne," the old king spluttered. "That would never do! Ah … No offense intended, Grimsby."

The man smiled.

"None taken, Sire."

Having lost his appetite, Eric shoved his chair back and marched out of the room, Max bounding after him.

"Do you think he will do what we ask?" the queen asked her husband.

"He'd better," growled the king. "He's had his fun with that red haired piece of skirt. Now it's time for him to grow up."

"My dear. She is not that bad. Pray do not talk about her in that fashion, you make it seem as though she is naught but a worthless whore."

"Of course," the king said, realising he had gone too far. "You are right, Agnes."

"Ariel is a good, kind woman," the grand lady continued. 'Obviously she is redundant, but a good, kind woman nonetheless."

_**The palace gardens**_

Grimsby found Eric sitting near a water feature, petting Max, a frown on his handsome features.

"Eric?" he addressed slowly, knowing he was in for a stormy argument.

The young man looked up. When he saw his advisor, his expression became sour.

"What is it now?" he asked defensively. "Haven't you said enough?"

"I merely wanted to say that I understand, my boy," Grimsby replied gently. "This cannot be easy for you. Especially after all that you and the princess have endured together. The witch. The miscarriages and that stillborn. I do understand how you feel and I wish that this had not come to pass."

"If they are so against Ariel, why did they let us marry in the first place?" Eric argued angrily.

Max lifted his hairy head and barked loudly in return, as if he were mirroring his master's anger.

"They whole heartedly supported your union with Ariel, Eric," Grim replied, giving the old English sheep dog a warning look. "But after the third child's death they started to feel concerned. Not just for themselves or you, but also for the people they must look after. As a member of the royal family, you must do things you do not wish to do. You know that."

"Haven't I done enough already?" Eric nearly shouted, glaring up at his friend. "Hasn't Ariel?"

"Being a royal means sometimes doing the impossible, young man," Grimsby told Eric sadly. "Sometimes even the unthinkable."

With a heavy sigh, he reached out, patting Eric on the shoulder.

"Just think about it. You have time. There is no need for haste."

_**Ursula's lair**_

"So, how's my favourite princess?"

This time Ariel was prepared.

"I'm fine," she answered coldly.

"Oh, don't be like that," Ursula cooed, smoothly slithering out of her shadowy hiding place. "I'm only checking up on you, dearest."

"Since when has Ursula the sea witch ever cared for anyone but herself?" Ariel sneered.

"Temper, temper," the female Cecelia reminded, wagging a warning finger at the princess. "Losing it isn't good for your child, sweet cakes!"

Anger wiped away, Ariel warily put a hand over her stomach as if she hoped to shield the babe from the witch.

"Don't panic, yummy mummy. I'm not after your offspring," Ursula told the woman gaily. "I'm after you."

Ariel's eyes widened at the revelation.

"No … You-you can't be."

"Mmmhmm. See, you were pre contracted to me, Sweeting. Although your father exchanged himself in order to set you free …." Ursula made a face full of false misery. "Oh you poor thing!" she wailed. "Having released him has put you in a lot of trouble, hasn't it? You've definitely got a noose around your neck, haven't you?"

Ariel shook her head.

"It's not possible," she whispered.

Ursula smirked slyly and slid beside Ariel, tentacles swirling about her like a massive black storm cloud.

"But … There might be a way to get you out of this."

Noting her enemies presence, the woman shivered with revulsion, folded her arms across her chest, refusing to acknowledge the witch.

"You _might_ want to see what's on offer." Ursula added and draped a lavender arm over Ariel's slender shoulders, drawing the mer woman close.

"What? By giving you my father's head on a platter?" Ariel all but shouted at the witch, glaring angrily up at her.

"Surprisingly. No."

"I don't understand. You're talking in riddles."

"All I shall say is this. Something wonderful is about to fall in your lap, my dear. I suggest you take it and be grateful."

"I have everything I want," Ariel claimed defiantly, violently shrugging the witch off her shoulders. "While you're just a dream! You have no further claim over my family or me. Goodbye, Ursula."

To her disbelief, the witch did not fly into a fierce rage.

Ursula shrugged and smirked.

"Ta, ta Angel fish. We'll see each other soon enough."

Ariel shook her head.

"I never want to see you again!" she spat.

"Oh, you don't mean that, precious! You'd miss me!"

"No!" Ariel cried, tears of frustration and anger stinging her eyes. "I don't need you anymore! I don't!"

Suddenly, Ariel realised she was screaming to nothing but a fading cackle.

"You cannot possibly expect to win," Ursula's disembodied voice mocked in a low rumble. "This is your own doing. You craved the dreams. The power. Now you have to pay the price. There is no way out for you."

"I would rather die!" the princess snarled.

"And thus kill the babe in your womb as well, my sweet? I don't think so. Farewell, little one. See you later!"

_**Triton's palace, Ariel's chambers**_

Ariel woke with a start. Rolling over, she looked to her bedfellow, Flounder, to see if she had roused him.

She hadn't. The round yellow and blue guppy was still sleeping soundly beside her.

Ariel raked a hand through her hair and sighed heavily.

It was just a silly dream. Ursula had no hold over her at all.

The woman squeezed her eyes shut and groaned.

Perhaps asking her father about the contract tomorrow would be a good thing to do.

he and his magic's had performed a thorough research of Cecelia law and power after the battle against Ursula in order to obtain a better knowledge of her race and ideas on how to defeat them should any of her kind ever make another attempt to retake the kingdom.

Sighing, the mother to be closed her eyes, her hand drifted to her belly, stroking the little bump.

"Little one, we are in a bit of a mess," she muttered.

The child in her womb kicked as if in acknowledgment.

Ariel grinned and patted her stomach.

"I love you," she whispered and then went to sleep.

_**King Tritons Presence chamber**_

"Ariel, sweet heart!" Triton greeted warmly.

Ariel smiled and swam quickly over to the seat opposite his throne.

"Can I talk with you, Daddy?" she asked, clasping her hands in her lap.

"Is it the baby?" the monarch asked, immediately concerned.

Ariel shook her head,

"No, it's not about the baby … I want to ask you about … Daddy, I need to know something about Ursula's contract."

Triton bristled at her words.

"Has a Cecelia been near you?" he growled, trident glowing in a most threatening manner.

"No!" Ariel assured. '_Only in my dreams,'_ she added mentally. "No, Daddy. They've kept away from me. I just need an answer to something … I'm sure it's nothing, but I'd like it all the same."

"Then ask me."

"Well … I was under contract to Ursula. You exchanged yourself to free me. Then you were set free when Ursula was killed, but-"

"You're afraid that the contract has found its way back to you?" Triton finished for her.

"Yes," the woman replied breathlessly.

"One can rightfully assume that because Ursula is dead we are no longer held in her power. But I do understand your concerns.

Ariel, in all honesty I truly believe that those days are behind us. The contract was destroyed along with Ursula. We have nothing to fear."

Ariel offered her father a grateful smile and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered.

_**Eric and Ariel's bed chambers**_

"Hello, lover boy."

Eric stared in wonderment at Vanessa.

Vanessa. Ursula. The sea witch.

The creature sat provocatively in a chair before him, dressed in a revealing navy blue silk gown, twirling a strand of glossy black hair between her fingers, speaking to him in his wife's voice.

"You're dead!" he exclaimed, sitting up in his bed.

"I may be dead, but I'm still gorgeous," the witch answered. She then smiled sweetly, tilting her head to one side, dropping her hand. "Did you miss me, lover boy?"

Eric scowled.

"Don't call me that!" he snapped at her.

Vanessa's sensual lips formed a perfect pout.

"Oh … but why?" she cooed, rising from her chair and floating toward him. "You used to love it."

"I was under a spell," Eric growled at her, glaring warningly as she drew closer. "I didn't know what I was doing."

The woman smiled.

"Yes, you did," she contradicted softly. "We both know you did. Stop lying to yourself. You enjoyed every single moment."

She was sitting beside him now, lustrous dark mane flickering slightly in the soft breeze that blew through the chamber.

She was so beautiful. So close.

So tempting.

"You know. I thought you were going to kill me," she whispered, studying him with a strange curiosity. "When I held her in my arms. All prepared to drag her back into the ocean. But you didn't." Vanessa leaned in closer. "I want to know why."

Eric tore his gaze away from his former betrothed.

"Tell me," Vanessa pressed.

"What do you want?" Eric whispered.

"First, to know why you didn't lift one single finger in an effort to kill me."

"You were too fast. I was in shock. Too many things were happening all at once."

Vanessa gave a husky chuckle.

"Interesting, but not wholly true, my little prince." She reached out, stroking his cheek, satisfied he did not pull away from her. "I think … You still wanted me."

Eric's eyes widened.

"I don't want anyone but Ariel!" he cried jerking his face from Vanessa's caressing hand.

The woman rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Yes, yes. That's all very fine and dandy, my dear. But … You have cravings. So does she."

"What?"

"It's only natural, princie boy," Vanessa teased playfully. "That's part of the reason why I'm here in your head! But, what I'm about to offer you is quite real. You may have true love with Ariel, and she with you. But realistically, you need someone else. I am prepared to give that maiden to you if you push your little wifey back into the ocean where she belongs. I should add that we'd appreciate it if you were to sort of … suggest that she'd _swim_ in our direction," Vanessa chuckled again. "We can't just drop in on Triton and collect her, you know."

"No! I'd never do that to her!" he shouted. "Your kind are monsters! You'd kill her and our baby if you had the chance!"

"No, again you are wrong, hun buns," Vanessa said, shaking her head. "See, Ariel will not suffer, neither will the child. You do what I want you to do, and in time they'll both thank you for it."

"What about Triton? He'll be after my head!"

"He may be a pain in the neck, but he can be reasonable," Vanessa replied dryly. "Just keep your fishing boats out of his waters." She shrugged. "Besides, once I'm finished with Ariel, I really don't think he'll give a rat's arse about you, Eric."

Eric felt a chill go down his spine.

"What will you do to her?" he asked warily.

With little effort, Vanessa moved until she was straddling him.

"She will be happier with me and my people," she breathed, running her slender fingers through his hair. "Her child will be safe and loved."

Eric hesitated.

"This is just a dream," he told her, trying to be brave, trying to remain in control. "Your words don't mean anything."

Vanessa lowered herself onto him, pressing her thin, silk clad body against his own.

Upon interaction, Eric gasped sharply then squeezed his eyes shut.

He had forgotten how exquisite it was to have her so close.

"Perhaps it is just a dream. Perhaps nothing will happen," Vanessa agreed, lazily stroking his calf with her big toe. "But perhaps you should heed what I tell you, young prince. Think about Ariel's needs and then look at yourself and your family." She curled a slender leg around him, pressing her soft moist lips against his hot, trembling throat.

Eric shuddered. He felt stiff. Stiff and confused.

"I will give you six days to think. When you've made a decision," she paused, kissing his neck again. "Go, on your own, to the rock pool in the cave, midnight on the sixth day."

She continued to kiss him. Her lips travelled down his neck, past his chest and rained over his taut stomach.

"If I decide to ignore you? If I fail?" Eric managed to ask, his voice thick with need and angst.

Vanessa raised her head and giggled. The sound trickled through his ears like warm honey.

"The consequences will not be to your liking. That's a promise."

He glared at her hatefully.

"Your words are poison!" he spat at her, shuddering again for his arousal was fast becoming intolerable.

Vanessa merely laughed, delighting in her power.

"I may be a poisonous whore, my sweet lover boy. I may be dead," she reached down, down, down, grasping his aching member in her hands. "But," she grinned wickedly at him, adding with smug triumph. "I _am_ Ursula the sea witch!"

Having said that, she began to rub him.

* * *

Eric woke the next morning feeling sick and exhausted. Pulling up the silk sheets and furs, he noted the multi coloured bruises covering his body and made a face.

"Great," he croaked. He swallowed thickly then winced for his throat burnt.

There was a brief knock, Carlotta and the queen entered.

"Oh Prince Eric, you are a sorry sight!" Carlotta exclaimed lowering the tray she had been carrying.

"A sheer freight indeed," his mother agreed in a murmur. "Has the physician been sent for, Carlotta?"

"Yes, your majesty. He'll be here presently."

"Good. Leave us, please. I'd like a word in private with my son."

"Of course, your majesty."

The queen busied herself with Eric's broth and tonic before finally sighing heavily and speaking.

"The next time you decide to go whoring, I'd suggest you make sure the slut is healthy, Eric. You've been in a fevered state for two days."

Eric's blood went cold.

"Two days?" he whispered.

"Yes, yes! Two entire days!" the queen snapped, very much annoyed with him and suddenly in a queer state of vexation. "Your father and I, in addition, your wife, are relieved beyond measure that you are alive and recovering. Don't fret," she added quickly. "We did not tell Ariel you had lain with another woman."

Eric slumped against his pillows.

"Thank you, mother."

The queen was staring at him again, light green eyes tired but alert.

"Have you thought about the situation with Ariel?" she asked finally.

Eric groaned.

"The baby hasn't even been born yet. Give her a break, mother!"

"No!" snarled the queen. "No, Eric! The people are in dire need of a confident, strong monarch. We have nothing to offer them! Don't you dare tell me to give your precious wife a break when I am working as hard as I can to keep this kingdom running whilst your father's strength ebbs away from him! Don't you dare!"

Eric groaned again.

"There is every chance-" he paused, coughing hard into his hand. "There is every chance the baby will be a boy, mother."

"And there is every chance that the child will be stillborn or miscarried like the others. Or even deformed or female!" She shuddered. "We do not want a female on this throne, Eric!"

"Mother-"

"If you do not give Ariel up and she does whelp a daughter, by god your father and I will do all in our power to destroy her and the brat!"

"You wouldn't!" Eric gasped. "Mother, please!"

"Think about it," the queen told him, her voice cold and hard. "I love you, my son, and I do care deeply for your wife. But it is time for the game to come to an end. Your father and I allowed you to marry Ariel because we thought it was the best thing. It seems that it was not."

"But-"

"Eric, I beseech you! Let the mer woman go and marry another."

A single tear slid down her pale cheek and Eric knew in his heart that she was not manipulating him, "If you don't heed my words, the sky will fall on all of our heads."

Head bowed, the queen left her son alone in his chambers.

_**Ursula's lair**_

"What do you want?" Ariel complained, giving the approaching witch a baleful look. "Where is Ursula?"

"My sister is busy doing what dead sisters do, young lady!" Morgana, the sea witch announced haughtily. "She's asked me to show you something."

Ariel shook her head.

This was madness. Sheer, utter madness.

"Come to the crystal ball, princess, take a seat," Morgana winked at her. This won't take long," she added gleefully.

Suddenly wary, Ariel hesitated.

Morgana rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Come on. It won't bite."

Taking a deep breath, the mer woman decided to do what the witch wanted.

* * *

Sitting across from her, Morgana tapped the ball.

"Look," she instructed. "This is your future, my sweet."

"Is this a trick?" Ariel asked uneasily.

"Would I play a trick on you? Just look into the ball."

Ariel found she could see into the chamber she shared with Eric through the crystal ball.

"What-" she began to say.

"Shh, watch."

* * *

Ariel saw herself lying in the giant bed, screaming and straining. Carlotta was scurrying here and there following the midwife's flow of instructions whilst Eric, the king, queen plus Grimsby and many other members of the royal court surrounded the bed, waiting in anticipation.

'_A public birth,'_ Ariel thought miserably. _'I told Eric I didn't want one,'_

"I can see the head!" Carlotta exclaimed.

There was a cheer.

"Push, your highness!" urged the midwife. "Push!"

Ariel flung her head back, sobbing with effort.

"I can't," she cried. "I can't!"

"It's almost over!" Carlotta promised, "One last push! One more and-" She was cut off by a wail. A loud, angry wail.

Every one seemed to be waiting with baited breath.

"What is it?" the king demanded at last. "Tell me what it is?"

"Boy or girl?" Grimsby prompted.

"It's a girl, your majesty. A healthy little girl."

Ariel felt her heart swell with emotion. She reached with trembling hands for her offspring, immediately taking the cranky babe to her breast.

"Don't."

Puzzled, she looked up. Her bamboozlement turned quickly to fear when she saw her husband staring hatefully at her and the innocent child in her arms.

"Eric, I …" she began but the young royal cut her off.

"Take the child, Grimsby," Eric ordered stoically. "Then have guards escort the princess to another chamber. She is not to leave until we allow it, understood?"

Grimsby bowed.

"Of course, Eric." He turned to Carlotta. "Give me the child," he muttered harshly, holding out his hands for the screeching baby, ignoring the frantic cries of her despairing mother.

* * *

"No!" Ariel shouted. Shaking with rage, she whirled on Ursula's sister, wishing with all her heart that she could kill the witch with her bare hands.

Morgana was calm. A little smug, but calm.

"This is what will happen," she told Ariel smoothly. "You need to be aware."

"Eric would never see our baby harmed," the woman spat. "He wouldn't care what sex it was! He-"

"No, but his love for his people will distort his love for you." Morgana leaned over the crystal ball, locking her gaze with the angered mer woman. "And to please his people … he must have a son."

One of Morgana's many slender green and black tentacles gracefully slithered over until its tip hovered over Ariel's stomach.

Lightly, it tapped the bump.

"He won't want that, my dear," the witch hissed.

_**Eric and Ariel's chambers**_

Eric was barely listening as Grimsby droned on and on about politics and court.

Before returning to his bed, the prince had chosen to bathe, hoping that the soothing hot water and subtle scent of rose water would ease his mind, letting him think more clearly then he had been during the passing hours.

They had not.

He wanted to see Ariel. He wanted to bury his face into her pale swan like neck and tell her how horrible and miserable he felt.

But he couldn't. Vanessa's, or to be precise, Ursula's words flowed through his aching head like wine.

"Eric?"

Wearily, Eric looked up.

"You were saying?" he mumbled.

Grim folded his paper.

"I can see you are still not up to affairs of state. I'll leave you alone. Good day, Eric."

When the doors had closed behind the advisor, a tear seeped down Eric's cheek.

Rising to his feet, the young man walked over to the window, staring sightlessly at what was happening beyond the glass barrier.

His people were hurting, His parents were ailing. It seemed the only thing he could do to stop this was to give up the love of his life and their child to the ghost of the monster who had tried to murder them.

More tears trickled down his cheeks. Moaning with profound grief, Eric sunk to the floor, brought his hands to his face and began to cry.

_**Ariel's chamber**_

Sick with fear and exhausted. Ariel paced restlessly in her palace chamber.

She hated this! She wanted to be with Eric but her in laws, Grimsby and Carlotta strongly advised that she should stay away until the fever had abated.

Inside her, the baby kicked.

"I should rest," Ariel murmured, talking to the baby rather then herself. "But I'm so scared."

The baby kicked her again then stretched.

Ariel groaned from the action then wandered over to the nearby piss pot where she squatted, pissed, then shat.

When relieved, the princess looked to the window, noting the sunlight bleeding through the cracks in the sky.

'_Maybe they'll let me see him today,'_ she wondered.

_**The cave**_

Eric tethered his dapple-grey gelding to a tree with ample grass beneath it. After clapping the hungry equine affectionately on the neck, he hurried to the cave entrance, thankful for the full moon that was beaming her milky light down upon him and his path.

"_Please god, don't let this be a joke,_' he thought, approaching the mouth of the cave. _'I'm tired of games,'_

Lighting a torch, he warily made his way down the stone steps ….

* * *

There was the pool. In it was an unfamiliar woman. She had long white hair, emerald green eyes and olive skin.

From where he was standing, she seemed to be naked. Yet that was debatable for all he could see of her was her head and neck. The rest of her was under her hair and the black water.

"Who are you?" he asked uneasily.

"My sister couldn't come," the woman told him, winking coquettishly. "I'm Morgana. The younger sister. Ursula can only appear in one's dreams since she's shuffled off the mortal coil. While I, on the other hand, can do both!" She giggled playfully at him, pushing her luminous hair behind an ear. "But only on special occasions."

Eric swallowed thickly.

"You're using my wife's voice," he managed at last.

"Oh, and a much, much more impressive body then my own!" Morgana added with a bright grin. "A body you'll get to play with, but only if you tell me exactly what my sister and I need to hear."

Saying that, she swam closer, resting her slim arms on the rocks.

Locking her green gaze with his, Morgana leaned forward, parted her plump pink lips, and spoke.

"Do we have a deal, Prince Eric? Will you give Ariel to us, or do you wish to suffer?"

"No harm will come to her or the baby?"

"Nope! None at all."

Eric closed his eyes. He swallowed again. His heart pounded so painfully hard in his breast.

'_Forgive me. Please forgive me,'_

"Well, my Prince?"

'_I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I am so, so sorry,'_

Morgana hissed like a vexed snake. She was fast losing patience. If she were not under strict orders not to severally harm the human, she bloody well would have liked to have sunk her nails into his 'Oh so important' manhood and made him scream out his answer.

"Make … your … choice!" she seethed.

'_I love you,'_

"Take her. She's yours."

Morgana gave a cry of triumph. Gleefully, she clapped her hands then returned her gaze to the young man.

"Spoken like a true prince," she purred, smiling sweetly.

Eric glared at her.

"Don't patronise me!" he snapped.

Morgana shrugged then snapped her fingers. The water began to bubble and splash.

"What are you doing?" Eric asked uneasily.

Morgana flicked her tongue across her lips.

"Take off your clothes and lie down in the pool, my dear," she ordered slyly. "It's time for a little thank you for your help."

"I haven't done anything for you yet," Eric stated, frowning at Morgana.

"Oh but you will," Morgana cooed softly. "Once I've done with you, Eric." She laughed wantonly at him. "If I tell you to beg, you'll beg. If I tell you to scream, my sweet …." She trailed off, having seen for herself that there was no need to finish the sentence.

"Strip," she commanded, "but don't take off your shirt. I want to do that."

* * *

As Eric lowered himself into the water, he was surprised at how hot it was.

How very curious. He was so sure it was going to be freezing.

Seeing that he was ready and waiting, Morgana floated to him, green eyes alive with predatory excitement, reminding him of Vanessa. Her face, however, told a different story. It was an expression of deep concentration.

Suddenly, a black and green tentacle shot out of nowhere, wrapping tightly around his wrist. Before he could give a cry of alarm, another one shot out of the water doing what it's twin had done with his other wrist.

"What are you-?"

"Hush, my prince, hush!" Morgana soothed, patting Eric's cheek. "There's nothing to fear."

She gently manoeuvred herself so he could finally see all of her.

Eric's eyes widened with shock.

A Cecelia.

Morgana slid closer. "My sister told me you might like this," she whispered in his ear. She took his earlobe in her mouth, bit gently into it, suckled, then let it go. "But you, my sweet lord, will _love_ this."

She kissed him, long and deep. He responded readily, straining against his binds in order to hold her.

Morgana, her tongue wallowing inside Eric's mouth, growled kittenishly, and tightened her grip.

A black tentacle slithered lesisurely under Eric's soaked white shirt, feeling his hard muscles and nipples.

"Hmmm, you are well fit, my dear boy," Morgana praised against the princes mouth. "Let's take this off you, shall we? Hmmm? Yesss!"

He groaned.

The shirt ripped apart easily. The witch casually tore the garment off him then greedily drank in the sight of him.

"Oh …. Sweeties," she breathed, taking note of the erect, rosy nipples. "I love sweeties!" She dipped her head, covering his left tit with her mouth, suckling firmly then lathering it with her red tongue.

Beneath her, the man gasped and panted. He clenched and unclenched his fists. His mouth watered with lust.

"P-please," he begged. "I-need-please …"

Letting go of the nipple, raising her head, Morgana smirked at him.

"Very well, my prince," she told him huskily. "I will give you want you need. After all, it is only fair."

She released his hands and wrapt herself around him, pressing his head against her ebony breasts, groaning when his hands roamed over her slender back, down to her arse, rubbing and scratching.

Using her spare tentacles, she guided his shaft to her opening, gasping loudly when he had found it.

"Oh!" she panted as he began to thrust inside her. "You are going to make the new bride very happy my sweet lord!"

_**Ariel's palace chambers**_

"Ariel."

The woman sat up in her bed.

"Eric," she breathed. "Oh God's! I was worried about you!"

The young man staggered toward the bed. His breathing was laboured. His hair tangled and damp.

What had happened to him?

"I need you," he rasped. "Ariel. I need you so badly."

His wife hesitated.

"Are you-"

"Please!"

Realising it would be better for her to do what he wanted, Ariel eased off her woollen shift, presenting her naked, pregnant body to him.

"Is this what you really need?" she asked. "Is it, Eric?"

He groaned.

"Yessss," he hissed and leapt at her in order to claim her mouth.

* * *

Slowly, he began to pull away.

"I can't," he panted, letting her go. "I'm sorry, Ariel. I just can't."

Hurt and terribly aroused, Ariel nodded weakly.

"I understand," she murmured.

"No you don't!" he snapped, making her jump. "Ariel! How could you? How could you possibly? Ariel … I've been lying with other women!"

Ariel bit her lip. Little by little, she could feel the hot anger begin to swell in her bosom.

"Get out," she whispered.

She lay down, rolling onto her side, facing away from him.

Eric sat beside her, staring at her naked form

"I'll go," he murmured at last. "G-goodnight."

_**Eric and Ariel's bedchamber**_

In their chamber, he screamed at himself for his cowardice. For his lust.

Tearing off his pants, he stroked himself. Crying out in ecstasy as his release came and went, then collapsing to the fall, grief and shame taking away what little pleasure he had found.

"I hate you," he growled.

And he did. He hated them all. Ursula, Morgana, Ariel. Even their innocent unborn child.

Oh yes. He hated them all so very much.

_**The palace dining room**_

"You wanted to see me?" Ariel asked, gliding into the room in a rustle of cream silk.

Eric sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Yes, I did," he murmured.

"Eric?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" the prince told her irritably. "Stop prattling for a moment. I need to talk to you."

Uneasy, Ariel took a seat and waited patiently.

* * *

Twenty minutes had past. Carlotta was just about to announce dinner when a sobbing Ariel flung open the doors and bolted.

"Princess?" the large woman called after her.

"Leave her, Carlotta."

The woman turned to face Eric. The young man's face was ashen. His carriage low and miserable.

"Good god, Eric," the woman whispered. "What have you done?"

_**End of part 2**_

_**Authors note**_

Ohhh, what's happening here! What's going to happen to Ariel and Eric? Will Ariel end up in the witches clutches or will she fight for her marriage?

Eric does seem to be a bit weak and pathetic in this ditty. What I wanted to achieve in this chapter was a man giving into this weaknesses because he has so much to lose.

Eric loves his family and his people. He hates the idea of giving up Ariel. She is his true love. But he understands that as a royal he has to make sacrifices.

I do realise that most of the characters will seem out of character. I sort of did that on purpose in order to make the story seem more realistic and adult.

If you find that it is not to your liking. Oh well, can't please everyone, lol!

The next chapter, which may be the last, will be a lot darker and will contain some more very raunchy material and OCs, please note, I do not believe in Mary or Gary Sues. That is my personal choice, please do not attack me or my fic for it.

Thanks for reading Leah


	3. Part 3

_**She dreams part 3**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Ariel returns to the ocean. Will she do the unthinkable in order to save her child and her marriage?

Warning, this chapter does contain the OC's. I understand that there are a lot of people in the fan fic world who frown upon OC's and that there are people who do believe in Gary and Mary Sues. I politely ask you to please respect the fact that I do not think that every OC is a shocker and that I do not stake any belief in the whole Gary/Mary Sue thing.

Any flames and Sue grumbles directed at this fic will be ignored. I am sorry if I seem rude, but I am not interested in aggressive behaviour when it comes to reviews.

_**Disclaimer**_

I do not own a thing. If I did … TLM would be post watershed, heee!

Rated M for angst and medical content and minor sexual content. Also written in Australian & UK grammar.

_**Triton's palace gates**_

The woman swam so fast one would have thought that the devil was on her tail.

Hot, salty tears poured down her equally hot and puffy cheeks and the cruel memory of what had happened in the dining room clung to her mind, driving her ever-on ward.

If Eric wanted a son, she would give him a son, but she would not, could not go to a sea witch!

_**The cave's rock pool**_

"I've given you want you want! She's on her way!" Eric shouted angrily at the still, cold water.

"Good," the disembodied voice of Ursula praised.

Eric cringed at the sound of it. He had half expected to hear the sinfully pleasurable tones of his wife.

The witches' voice, bloated with her smug satisfaction, disconcerted him thoroughly.

"Now help me save my people."

There was a hiss.

"Wait," was the disembodied reply. "You've set her free, but we have yet to reel her in. When we've secured Ariel, you _will_ be justly rewarded."

Eric dropped his head.

"Good bye, lover boy."

"Good bye," he replied weakly.

As he trudged away from the cave, the prince felt as though a weight was being gradually eased off his shoulders. This weight, he wished with all his heart, would return and crush him entirely until he was nothing.

_**The midwife's home**_

"Princess, I thought you weren't coming till next month!" the crone exclaimed, admitting Ariel into her chamber.

"I want you to do something for me," the mer woman muttered, agitatedly pushing red hair from her face. "Discreetly."

"Do you want me to get rid of it?" the woman asked gently. "It is quite late-"

"No, Gundred, I love this child. I want it as much as I wanted the others." Stressed and tired, Ariel sat down on a bench, putting a trembling hand to her forehead. "If I thought aborting the foetus would help the situation then I would let you do just that," she confessed sadly. "But it won't help it or me. It's my husband, he can't take anymore. He told me earlier today if it's a girl, he'd kill it."

The midwife patted the woman's shoulder.

"Now, now, princess, let's not be so hasty. I've heard a lot of lovely things about your hubbie. I don't think he meant it."

"He did!" Ariel insisted, fierce despite her sheer exhaustion. "He meant every single word! If I whelp a girl, he'll destroy it!"

"Oh pish! Look, you're angry and tired. Why don't you have a lie down while I send for your father?"

"Listen to me!" Ariel shouted, suddenly frantic. "You don't understand! Down here everyone is equal. No one really cares about male issue! Up there it's entirely different. It's a men's world!"

The midwife sighed and folded her arms across her chest, swishing her puce tail from side to side.

"Then what would you have me do?" she asked.

Ariel took a deep shuddering breath.

This had to work. This had to work. This had to work.

"Make my child a boy," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Princess Ariel."

Ariel's heart slowly began to sink.

"Why?" she croaked tearfully. "Why can't you help me?"

"Because I do not have that power. Even if I did, I'd never do it. I'd never practice Cecelia magic. It's the dark arts."

Everything inside Ariel became numb.

She closed her eyes. She slumped her shoulders.

There was no hope.

No hope at all.

Realising that the poor thing needed to be anywhere but here, the midwife reached for a starfish, being mindful not to let Ariel see it.

"I think you need to talk with your father," she advised gently, cautiously floating closer to the pregnant woman. "He'll understand."

The eerie calmness that had swept over the young royal faded and she stared at the midwife as if she had grown two heads.

"No!" she gasped, terrified. "No, he would destroy Eric! No!"

"Please Princess! You must calm down!" the midwife pleaded, grabbing Ariel's wrist. "Think of the baby! I implore you!"

Angry and afraid, Ariel tried to snatch her hand away.

"I've done nothing but that!" she spat.

Knowing she would only have one chance to sedate the royal, the midwife plunged one of the legs of the starfish into Ariel's wrist.

The woman fell back, shrieking with pain.

Cradling her hand to her heaving bosom, she stared wildly at the older woman.

"What have you done?" she demanded.

"You need to talk with your father. I can't have you doing anything rash. The sedative from the star fish will put you to sleep, Princess. All will be well when you wake up."

Ariel shook her head vigorously.

"No," she rasped. "No! No! No!"

"Please lie down," the midwife urged, taking Ariel's arm. "Come on. I promise everything will be alright!"

Using all of her strength, Ariel tore herself away from the woman. Free, she swung around and shot out of the chamber.

"I will give you a son, Eric!" Ariel vowed, leaving the midwife's home behind her in a swarm of big and little bubbles. "I will give you a son!"

_**Somewhere in Tritons Ocean, nearing the border**_

She was tired. So very tired. But she could not afford to sleep. Not when she had yet to find the lair.

She had to reach Ursula's lair before her father's people caught up with her.

All would be lost if she didn't.

Her vision blurred, yet it was not from tears. The drug in her body was slowly, but surely, wearing her down. Ariel was amazed that she had lasted this long.

As she swam, the woman went through her plan in her head. All she had to do was find a Cecelia, change her baby's sex, and then return to the palace.

Easy.

It would be so easy.

The powerful stench of rotting flesh, old seaweed, and smoke entered her nostrils.

Pulling up, Ariel gasped, covering her nose.

"I'm nearly there," she whispered, stunned by her discovery. "I'm nearly there!"

Her baby was going to be safe.

Her strength replenished by renewed hope, Ariel started to swim again.

_**Ursula's lair**_

Wearily pushing the pink sea vine that rudely distorted her vision aside, Ariel nervously floated into Ursula's old chamber.

The large room was cold but still full of the dark, seductive magic.

She would have loved to simply close her eyes and let the power seep into her body. But closing her eyes, even for a mere second, would be her downfall. She had to act quickly.

"Hello/" she called. "Is anyone here?"

Nothing.

"Hello?"

Silence.

She sighed heavily, squaring her shoulders.

"I am the Princess Ariel, youngest daughter of King Triton, wife of the human Prince, Eric. I am asking for help. My husband is in dire need of an heir. I am carrying a girl. I need to change her into a boy."

Still nothing.

"Please!" Ariel cried, blinking rapidly, losing her barely contained composure. "Please help me! I'll do anything you want! I'll give you anything you want! Just please help me! He'll kill her if she's not changed!"

Her cries and pleas fell on deaf ears. No one was going to help her.

Ariel glanced about her surroundings wildly. She was on the last legs of her sanity and she was tired. So, so very tired.

"Please," she whimpered. "I beg you … Help …"

Nothing.

Nothing but cold, cruel silence.

Finally succumbing to her dismal fate, Ariel sunk miserably to the floor near the cauldron.

There was a shout.

Too late.

She was far too late.

As she began to fall into oblivion, the poor woman swore she heard a man's deep voice exclaim triumphantly, "Gotcha!"

_**Somewhere**_

When Ariel woke, she felt refreshed and a good deal clear-headed then she had felt in a long time. Sitting up, she noted that her punctured hand had been bandaged and that she was no longer wearing her shift but a strip of cloth that covered and supported her large, aching breasts.

Putting a hand on her belly, she patted her bump then floated off bed, hoping to seek out the one who had helped her.

She was not in her father's kingdom. For where everything had been golden, this place was a brilliant, shining silver grey.

Could this be a part of Ursula's lair she had not seen? Or had her father sent her to a mad house?

The hairs on Ariel's body stood up in fear. She-

"Awake, princess?"

Stifling a sharp gasp of surprise with her good hand, Ariel swung around to stare wide-eyed at the approaching Cecelia.

"Hmm, nice to see you're well," Morgana purred, slithering over till she was floating in front of the startled princess. "When you were found in my sister's lair … well, you weren't so glamorous."

Ariel bit her lip nervously.

"I know why you're here," Morgana continued lazily. "I've been waiting for you." She smirked at the woman knowingly, then made a face. "Just not in my sister's lair. I'm surprised you even went there, Princess. Then again, I suppose it _was_ logical. You would feel safe there, wouldn't you. As if she were protecting the both of you, hmmm?"

Ariel said nothing.

"Anyway. Back to your …. Predicament. I can tell you that I do not possess the power to help you, my dear."

Face as white as snow, Ariel's mouth opened to scream her anguish but Morgana was faster, easily cutting her off by bringing a slender, greyish green finger to her parted lips.

"Shhh," she soothed lightly tapping Ariel's red upper lip. "Let me explain."

Wrapping a tentacle snugly around Ariel's tail, Morgana dragged the angry mer woman over to a cauldron.

"As I said before, I do not possess the power to help you," she gave Ariel a sly look, "but there is one who does."

The anger melted from Ariel's face and hope shone all over it.

"Who is that?" she whispered. "Tell me who it is, please!"

Morgana smiled and her expression became even more unctuous then before.

"Ursssula," she replied in a hiss.

Ariel's heart skipped a beat. Her entire body shook with renewed fear.

"No!" she yelled passionately, jerking violently backwards. "She tried to kill Eric and me! I can't take that kind of chance!"

"Then there is no hope for you or your child, my dear," Morgana told her sadly.

Ariel shook her head stubbornly.

"I can't believe that," she stated, though her ton suggested she knew Ursula's sister was right.

Tightening her grip on Ariel's tail, Morgana used another tentacle to press on the small of Ariel's back, pushing the woman forward so she could grasp her arms.

"Listen to me," she ordered harshly, fingers pinching into Ariels skin. "If you do manage to get back to your husband, everything will go wrong for him and he will hate you for it. If you were to seek sanctuary with your father, he'll most likely have you thrown into a mad house and take your child from you." She let her hands fall away, shifting backwards. "It's that simple."

Gaping, Ariel shook her head again.

"No," she whispered and turned away.

Letting go of her tail, Morgana used the same tentacle to curl gently around the woman's shoulder then entwine around her arm. Having done that, she drew the miserable wreck of a princess to her side and stroked her hair.

"I will do all I can to persuade my sister to change your baby into a boy and have him sent to the surface." She cupped Ariel's face in her hand, willing the mer woman to look at her. "You will most likely die or become a slave, but your baby and your husband will be safe and happy."

Ariel bowed her head, looking down at her large stomach.

"Will she let me at least say goodbye?" she asked pitifully.

"I can't say, sweetness. But I think it'll be most likely that she'll want your head on a platter."

Ariel did not speak for a long time.

'_You don't have a choice,_' her head told her. '_Your baby will be safe._ _Eric will be happy. What's wrong with you? Stop procrastinating!'_

Before Morgana could ask her what she had decided, Ariel wetted her lips with her tongue and spoke.

"Alright," she allowed in a tired, fed up voice. "You win."

Morgana was barely able to contain her triumph.

This was too good to be true!

"Thank you, little Princess!" she squealed. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Ariel nodded warily.

"All I need from you is blood, understood? Good, just give me that hand and-" Morgana snapped her fingers and a shiny dagger appeared out of nowhere. "This should do the trick! Ain't it just so pretty an shiny?"

Alarmed, Ariel jumped back, but the witch's surprisingly strong grip kept her in place.

"Take a deep breath, honey, coz this is gonna sting a lot!" Morgana declared and drew the blade across Ariel's open palm.

Ariel winced; fresh tears stung her eyes and speedily glided down her flushing cheeks.

"Ohhh, this is goood," Morgana growled.

* * *

"Thank you, my dear," the witch said, letting go of Ariel's bloody hand, tossing the dagger carelessly over her shoulder. "Now just relax and enjoy the show."

Suddenly, the cauldron began to smoke and splurt violently. Murmuring in a language she could not understand, Morgana quickly pushed Ariel behind her, wrapping her six tentacles around her body. Ariel could not be certain if this particular action was done in order to shield her from the leaky cauldron, or to keep her in place in case she attempted to flee upon the first sight of her nemesis.

The familiar, deep laugh slowly filled the chamber.

Ariel's blood turned as cold as winter snow. Forgetting the bargain, she struggled to free herself but her black and green restraints were too strong.

The laughter grew steadily louder.

Through the smoke, Ariel could almost make out Ursula's grey and white hair, her lavender head and shoulders.

Her heart beat quickened.

Soon the witch would rest her eyes upon her.

Ariel squeezed her own eyes shut.

'_God's, make it quick,' _she pleaded mentally. _'Make it painless,'_

* * *

"Morgana!"

The younger witch beamed.

"My dear big sister. How nice to see you back in your old body and not floating about as a ghost. Oh, and look! Flotsam and Jetsam are back as well!"

The eels hissed in acknowledgement.

Ursula arched an eyebrow,

"Hiding someone from me, Morgana?" she asked dryly.

Morgana rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Hardly," she dismissed. "The pitiful little thing thought you were going to do your nut and kill her."

Despite the intense pounding in her breast, Ariel frowned her bamboozlement.

What on earth …?

"Oh bring my poor little sweet cakes here!" Ursula cooed. "Hello, my dear," she then greeted when Ariel was partially released and made to float beside Morgana, "still gorgeous as ever I see."

Ariel said nothing.

"She doesn't know what's really happening here," Morgana told her sister, simpering slyly at Ariel. "Thought you'd like to do that part, sis."

This amused Ursula even more so.

"Well," she enthused. "Let me put this to you simply, Sweet pea. You are not going to die."

"So I'm a slave?" the woman asked feebly at last.

The witches laughed heartily, slapping their black sides.

Forgetting herself, Ariel clenched her fists.

"This isn't supposed to be funny!" she snapped, glaring at Ursula.

Ursula chuckled.

"You are so bitter and prickly! I think I preferred it when you were sweet and naïve."

"Just tell me what you want!" Ariel demanded.

"My wee princess, I already have what I want!" Ursula cried and glided over to the mer woman, tucking her under the chin with a lavender thumb. "You have no idea what's about to happen, do you Angel?" she asked. "I can promise you that it's going to be tremendous!"

Ariel jerked her face away.

"I came here for help," she seethed. "I'm not going to run away." Her face then softened. "Please, just change my baby then you can do whatever you want with me. I won't fight back this time. I promise!"

Ursula sighed.

"Poor fish," she cooed. "Your husband struck a deal with us. You, in exchange for a new bride. So, sweet cheeks … You belong to us now. This is your new home."

"I wager she gathers that, sis," Morgana said behind Ursula. "What about the child?"

"Oh yes! That little bun in your oven! Well. We'll be wanting to keep her too."

"Wha-No!" Ariel shouted abruptly. "Keep me! She's the innocent in all this! You can't have us both!"

"You forget who you are, Ariel," Ursula replied in a somewhat patronising tone. "You're the daughter of Triton; the child growing in your womb will be his grand daughter. Why keep one when Morgana and I can have two?"

She moved closer to Ariel, grasping her arms with her strong purple hands, giving the terrified woman no space to free herself.

Her two moray eels slithered over, floating on either side of the witches head. Their odd glowing yellow eyes making Ariel feel uncomfortable and a little disorientated.

"Poor little princess," Ursula said, looking deep into her prey's eyes. "You and your daughter need not be our prisoners. Nor will you be in danger from your father or your husband. All you need to do are two very simple things."

Ariel saw a glimmer of precious hope. She would live and she would stay with her daughter. But there had to be a catch. With a sea witch there was always a catch and the two 'things' Ursula spoke of sounded very unctuous.

"Tell me what you want me to do," she said after a moment's thought.

"You and your daughter become Cecelia's," Morgana said.

"And you, Princess, marry one of our kind," Ursula added.

"But I love Eric," the young woman whispered, appalled. "I'm-I'm married to him! He is the only man I have ever loved, ever wanted."

"Your husband doesn't want you," Ursula told Ariel in a tone that hinted at both urgency and barely controlled frustration. "He gave you up to save his own hide! His world made you inferior. His world pushed you into our arms the same way your father pushed you a long time ago." She drew Ariel to her side, ignorant of Ariel's grimace of repulsion. "Take this power, my sweet," she muttered in Ariel's small ear. "Take it, and you will no longer be a simple princess. You and your daughter will be unstoppable."

A single tear seeped down Ariel's cheek.

"What have you decided?" Ursula asked, fingers tapping on the woman's slim arm.

"I've decided that I don't have a choice what so ever," Ariel answered softly. She looked up at Ursula; eyes listless, almost soulless. "It was my addiction to your magic that brought this down on me and my daughter," she continued wearily. "I need to pay the price."

"Actually, my sweet. You didn't have an addiction." Ursula smirked proudly at her. "It was the contract."

"The … contract?" Ariel echoed warily.

"The contract was pulling you back to me through your dreams," the witch explained briskly. "When dear ol daddy was released, it automatically fixed its self back onto you. It only stops when I will it."

She waved her hand dramatically. The contract appeared in all its horrible golden glory, Triton's signature gleaming at the bottom.

She snapped her fingers.

The scroll combusted, scattering glowing pieces of paper everywhere.

"It stops now," Ursula said.

_**Ariel's bedchamber**_

Ariel was shown into a small bedchamber, beautiful with glistening lavender, baby blue and silver stonewalls.

"This is your private chamber," Morgana explained, guiding her to a bed.

Strips of pink sea vine and seal hide had been knitted together to form a blanket and something, which the Princess guessed was to be her mattress, that was large and soft thus reminding her of a giant oyster despite the fact that it was hot pink and not black, cream and grey.

"Lie down and split the tail, if you please, madam," Morgana instructed.

"You're acting as my midwife?" Ariel asked, bewildered.

"We both are," Ursula said entering with Flotsam and Jetsam curiously not by her side. "The child is important. She and you will be the beginning of our new realm."

Ariel's eyes widened.

"Your what?"

"Hush. Time for that later. Split the tail, we haven't got all day."

Annoyed and profoundly curious at the same time, Ariel forced her tail to split in two.

* * *

The sisters muttered to each other in very low tones, therefore Ariel was unable to understand what was being said. All she had been able to make out was "Fanny" and "Not long now"

They left her under the watchful, yet, rather unnerving gaze of the eels, returning shortly with a potion.

"Drink this," Ursula said, handing her a silver goblet.

"What is it?" Ariel asked warily.

"Herring scale. Turtle blood and Sea flower nectar."

Ariel made a face.

"And that is for?" she asked, giving her new midwife a look that suggested that she was not going to have something of such curious ingredients enter her body without a decent explanation.

"The child is not as strong as we would like. Neither are you. There is a slight infection in your folds that could poison the infant. This potion will clear away the infection and at the same time, put a shield around the child as it grows. Now, is that enough for you or shall I give you a more thorough explanation?"

"Ah-No, that's more than enough," Ariel replied, her cheeks colouring.

She took the goblet, hoping the gull blood did not belong to someone she knew, sniffed it the contents then drank.

The potion was pleasant to begin with, but the after taste was tedious, hence making Ariel cough and nearly retch.

"God's!" she exclaimed whilst fiercely wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "That was terrible."

Ursula rolled her eyes.

"Pull yourself back together and go to sleep," she ordered firmly. "You'll be needed tomorrow."

"And don't bother trying to escape," Morgana advised sternly. "Our entire palace is surrounded by an impenetrable field. No one, unless we allow it, can enter or leave."

"Wait! You still haven't explained to me about this … Monarchy you're building. The role my daughter and I play in it."

"All good things come in time, sweet one" Ursula cooed.

And then they were gone.

Alone at last, Ariel eased her tail back together then curled up into a ball on her bed, unconsciously stroking her belly as her mind wandered over the day's events.

She was jerked rudely from her pondering by the voices of visitors.

"Princessss."

The woman sat up, surprised to see Flotsam and Jetsam swimming toward her.

"Yes?" she asked warily, wiping hair from her eyes and keeping a protective hand on her stomach.

"We've been ssssent to make sssure you're ssssafe," one of the eels hissed.

"I'll be fine," Ariel told them stoically. "You don't have to stay."

"We were alsso told to put you to sssleeep," hissed another.

Before she could move, one of the eels darted under her hair and slid around her shoulders whilst the other moved in closer and closer.

Ariel flinched at the unwanted contact and tried to turn her head but she had been trapped and couldn't look away from the twin glowing yellow eyes.

"Ssssleep," both eels hissed in unison. "Ssssleep."

She tried to fight them off. She tried to blink, but the light was hypnotic. It gradually brought down her defences one by one.

She swayed then righted herself.

"Sssleep," the eels lulled. "Ssssleeep."

With a defeated groan, the woman surrendered herself to sweet, blissful darkness.

He entered her chamber slowly, almost timidly.

It had been days since he had found her sinking to the ground, falling into a drug induced slumber. It had been days since he had held her to his chest, whisking her away from her father's servants to the safety of his people's hidden palace.

The eels sent to guard her, hissed at his entrance then respectfully slithered away from the woman to the open door way.

He approached her dormant body cautiously. When by her side and comforted in the knowledge that this sleeping beauty would not awake, he relieved Ariel of her bandages then, taking her injured hands in his own, slid his thumbs over the wounds thus making them close, scar, then heal completely.

Satisfied with his efforts, Ariel's visitor carefully peeled the blanket off, exposing her body.

"You have changed," he murmured after a long moment's silence.

The frightened, scrawny sixteen-year-old girl he had watched from a distance was gone. Time and approaching motherhood had allowed her to blossom into a beautiful young woman.

Lovingly, he ran his hand through her crimson tresses, over her swollen belly then along her green tail, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

Ariel moaned softly.

He smiled.

Not wanting to linger lest she suddenly wake and cry out. He carefully draped the blanket over her then pressed his rosy lips to her forehead.

"I've been waiting for you," he whispered in her ear. "My angel. My queen."

His nostrils suddenly quivered as a unwelcome scent filled the little chamber.

Ariel moaned again and shifted restlessly on the bed. Her small head moved and she nuzzled her pillow. Her hand unconsciously moved toward one of her enlarged breasts.

The visitor's lips curled back in annoyance. Displeased with his lack of self control, he growled low in his throat and carefully moved her hand away from her breast.

Touching his lips to her forehead once again, the mysterious visitor reluctantly took his leave of her.

"That kind of pleasure will have to wait till you are awake," he muttered, willing the scent to fade and leave her be.

The twin eels slithered back into the chamber, expectantly peering up at him with their mismatched eyes.

A faint smile curled upon his mouth.

"Protect her with your lives," he told the eels and was gone.

When Ariel woke from her slumber, mind devoid of any memory of her visitor or the smell that had aroused her, she found her injuries curiously healed and unbound. She also received another unwanted taste of the distasteful concoction before being given a meal of boiled seaweed and hot sea flower nectar.

She had wondered why the witches had not insisted that she'd follow their diet. Surely if she was to become one of them she should be expected to eat like them?

From her observations a Cecelia ate mainly shellfish, kelp and seaweed. They drank sea flower nectar and whale milk.

Her father would have exploded if he were to find out that she consumed an oyster or, God's forbid, a crab!

Well.

Nothing she could do about it now.

That day, Ursula seemed to be a mood that suggested she was arranging something. This caused fresh shivers to run down Ariel's spine. The sisters were keeping a lot from her. During the day she had tried to ask them about their plans but only received a broad grin, a pat on the shoulder or a question about her baby, in return.

She was not allowed to explore the palace for the witches were hell bent on making certain that she would be prepared to meet with her new husband on time and that the baby would survive the final stages of the pregnancy which would be longer then a human's nine months.

Since Ariel and her unborn babe were still weak, the witches decided to change the baby from a human girl to a female Cecelia from within her womb rather than changing them both at once.

"It's easier on you both," Ursula had explained, peeling back the moist skin of Ariel's folds so she could see the infected area. "If we changed you now the magic could kill you. Your husband to be will kill us."

"I see," Ariel murmured.

Suddenly a sly grin spread across Ursula's features. Excitement danced in her eyes.

"He's here!" she said.

Ariel closed her tail.

"Who?" she asked wondering if she would be able to bring herself to feel comfortable with, if not, like the answer.

Ursula grabbed her hand, pulling her off the bed, toward the door way.

"Your new husband, angelfish! Let's make you beautiful!"

* * *

After being put into a new shift and having her hair combed and braided, Ariel was escorted by Ursula and her eels to a chamber she had never seen before.

It was very wide and coloured sapphire with a gleaming obsidian stone floor.

In the very centre of the spacious chamber were two large black thrones, reminding Ariel of twisted dead trees, their branches tangling into each other.

"What is this place?" she asked nervously.

"Your presence chamber, my dear," Ursula told the woman proudly. "After the birth, we'll have a wedding and coronation right here, won't we, boys?"

The twin eels hissed in response.

Morgana swept importantly into the room. Her shark, undertow, drifting casually behind her, leering at everything.

"Are we ready?" the younger Cecelia asked excitedly.

"No!" Ariel wanted to shout.

"Of course!" Ursula confirmed grandly.

Morgana slipt behind Ariel, grasping her shoulders whilst Ursula moved in front, her large body easily blocking Ariel from sight, Flotsam and Jetsam floating on either side of her.

Beneath Morgana's hands, Ariel trembled fearfully. She wetted her lips with her tongue again and again. Clasped and unclasped her hands.

Before too long, two giant black snakes glided gracefully into the chamber. They were followed closely by a young female Cecelia with long, lustrous waist length black hair and silver grey tentacles. Unlike Morgana and Ursula, her skin was of a creamy complexion rather than lavender or greyish green. Her body was soft and curvaceous.

Nodding politely to Ursula, she swam to one side, petting the snakes.

"That's your betroths sister, the empress Cora," Morgana whispered to Ariel who was so uneasy she could barely nod in comprehension.

Another Cecelia entered.

This one was a tall slender male with similar colouring to the empress Cora, yet he seemed to have a tanned body rather then a cream one.

The male had a youthful, angelic face and shiny blue black curls that bounced merrily as he too nodded to Ursula before taking his place beside his sister and the snakes.

"Is that him?" Ariel managed to whisper.

"No, that's his younger brother, the emperor Sorja," Morgana replied. "Here come their mates, Orion and Shellsa."

Two more impossibly exquisite Cecelia's arrived. A tall male and a tall, slender female.

Sorja's mate, the female whom Ariel learned was Shellsa, had turquoise tentacles and long, curly dark red hair. Her skin was a soft peach whilst Cora's mate, Orion was pale with cyan tentacles and wore his hair in a low ponytail consisting of thick silver grey hair.

Like their mates before them, the Cecelia's nodded to Ursula, taking their places beside Sorja and Cora.

"Shellsa, Sorja's mate, built the force field for the palace," Morgana whispered to Ariel. "Orion trains the guards."

'_So where is my husband?'_ Ariel wondered, more curious and bewildered than ever.

Before she could grow any more anxious then she already felt, another male Cecelia entered the presence chamber.

This one well and truly took Ariel's breath away. He was pale, so pale it was as if the moon was shining down on him. His hair was a wavy blue black, reaching just below his strong broad shoulders.

To Ariel's sheer amazement, he had ten tentacles instead of the usual six or eight. His lower body was black with long, slender royal blue tentacles with baby blue suckers. As he approached them, she could not help but note that he carried himself with a majesty that would have made her father envious.

Before and during their marriage, Ariel had believed that Eric was the most beautiful creature in the world. She believed nothing could be more glorious to look upon. Now she was happy to admit that she was wrong. This man was a perfect mixture of both handsomeness and heart wrenching beauty. He was so beautiful to look upon it took all of her will power not to drop to the floor and weep.

Ariel swallowed hard and waited.

* * *

"Ursula," Corin greeted in a voice warm and rich … a voice that was also strangely familiar to Ariel's ears.

"Corin," the witch answered. Her own voice somewhat nervous and … humble?

Yes, she was actually being humble in someone's presence for once.

"Good to see you alive and back in your own body again," Corin told her, an amused smirk forming on his rosy mouth.

"Thank you."

Corin's amusement slipt from his face.

"Is the woman here?" he asked suddenly all seriousness.

"She is."

"Bring her to me then."

Shifting till she was beside her, Morgana gently guided Ariel forth. Knowing what was happening behind her back, Ursula moved to take her place on Ariel's right.

"The princess Ariel," she announced.

Both witches put a hand on Ariel's back, waiting for the male Cecelia to speak.

Corin's greyish blue eyes trapped and held Ariel's for a long time whilst he studied her carefully.

Had his gaze not been so captivating, Ariel would have noticed the many pairs of eyes watching her closely.

Very closely.

He was the first to break the connection. His facial expression was neutral. Something the sisters did not seem to like for Ariel could feel their tension as if it were flowing into her back directly from their hands.

"Leave us," he said at last..

_**End of part 3**_

_**Authors note**_

Here are some facts about this fic for you.

Originally, Corin's looks were going to be based on pommy singer and musical theatre performer, Lee Mead, then I remembered how another pommy actor, Richard Armitage, looked as Sir Guy of Gisborne in the third series of Robin Hood and decided that he was the better choice because he seemed more mature in physical features and had a mixture of handsome and beautiful which I thought was needed.

Therefore, Lee Mead became a muse for Sorja instead.

Cora's looks are based on the pommy actor, Lucy Griffiths, looks before she became a blonde goddess. If you look her up as Marian in series one, episode one, of Robin Hood, you'll see what Cora is meant to look like.

Shellsa's looks are based on the actor who played Victoria in the first two Twilight films. I can't spell her last name, but if you are a twilight fan, you may know of whom I'm typing about.

Orion's looks are based on the Scottish actor, Ewan McGregor.

Ok, about the smell that made Corin angry, yes he was Ariel's bedside visitor, basically that smell is a mating scent I thought the Cecelia's could give off in order to arouse their mates or potential mates.

Corin does this by accident to Ariel because he is in love with her.

Some squids do have ten tentacles, therefore Corin having more then six was not unrealistic. I also did this because I wanted him to be an alpha male.

Here's a bit of glossary!

Fanny, aside from a girl's name, means Vagina in Australia and the UK, whilst in the USA it is a name for one's bottom.

Keeping everyone in character was tricky. Ariel and Eric have been the hardest by far, mostly because I am not a big fan of Eric and because Ariel is not as feisty as she usually is. Ariel is tired and she's under extreme pressure. She's in love with a baby she can't have. She loves a prince who was slowly letting her go. She's also a maturing woman rather than a bratty teenager. Ergo, I thought if I couldn't keep the characters in character all the time, I could try to make them out of character but in an interesting, realistic way. However, I was concerned about the way Ursula and Morgana were to receive Ariel.

Were their actions slash in nature? Did they appear too nice, etc, etc.

So! What's going to happen with Ariel and Corin. How is Triton faring with the news of his daughter? Can Ursula and Morgana be trusted? Whose side are Flotsam and Jetsam on?

Finally, I just want to say that I truly relished writing about Ursula. She is just the best! Morgana as well. Flotsam and Jetsam, plus the OC's have made writing the chapters of this story so enjoyable.

Once again, I do understand that a lot of people frown upon OC's and avoid writing about them. I'd like to make it clear that I love it. It's so much fun creating your own character and I really don't mind if readers don't like the OC's. To each their own.

Thank you for reading. Most of this story has been written, it just needs fine tuning. So a new chappie will be up hopefully before the end of this year.


	4. Part 4

_**She dreams, part 4**_

_**By Leah, aka Snuffles the Thunderarse! On the other hand ... the wee widdle Ponsaninny!**_

_**Summary**_

Ariel is alone with Corin in the Cecaelian presence chamber, what's going to happen?

Warning, there is a little bit of Eric bashing. It is mild, but if you are a big Eric fan, you might not like it.

I'd like to apologise for the late chappie. I am extremely busy with real life and haven't been in a proof reading mood of late. I will not know when the following parts will be up because I am a very slow writer and proofreader. The next few chappies could be up next month; they could be up next year.

If by some odd chance that you actually do enjoy this story and are waiting for more, I must strongly urge you to be patient.

I won't abandon this story, but I am going to take my time writing it.

_**Disclaimer**_

I do not own a sodding thing.

Bugger!

Rated PG 15 for some minor sexual references, the good stuff will come later. By good, I mean that I am going to make this fic as M rated as I possibly can.

Written in both UK and Australian grammar. All flames and Sue grumbles will be ignored unless needed to toast marsh mellows! And if you flame me in winter, I'll use them to warm my widdle toes!

Also, tis a wee bit of a whoopsadaisy.

I've been spelling "_**Cecaelia" **_and_** "Fetus" **_wrong.

Thank you for being so kind and not threatening to kill me for these mistakes.

Chapter is dedicated to my dogs Molly and Pete. My cat Nim and my budgie, Bird. To all Ursula fans, German Beer, frog legs on a bed of pasta and French black coffee shots, I miss Paris!

I would also like to thank Lady Kate from the Robin Hood BBC board on Yuku for kindly putting up with my grumbles about the complex plot, you are an absolute darling!

Author's note and review replies for chapter 1 and 3 can be found at the end of the story.

Anyway, on with the ditty!

_**The presence chamber**_

Everyone bowed his or her head before taking their leave of Corin and Ariel.

For the first time in her life, the young woman wished for the witches to stay with her. She stared after their retreating figures, pleading silently for the sisters to not leave her alone with this strange yet heart breakingly exquisite man.

"Do you hate them?"

The princess flinched sharply then whirled around to face her intended who was, unceremoniously, perched on one of the towering onyx thrones, watching her curiously.

"I don't-"

"I could have them destroyed," he added, still watching her. "However I should point out to you that they are the best midwives in the ocean. It might be wiser to keep them alive."

"I-I," she began then stopped. She had absolutely no idea of what to say. Babbling like an utter imbecile would not be a wholly good idea so … She decided to compress her lips and give a nonchalant shrug.

The royal was silent for a moment, considering her response.

"The sisters … They promised you protection for yourself and your child, yes?" he finally asked.

Ariel nodded slowly.

He cocked his head to one side.

"In exchange for …?"

"They told me I had to marry you, that my daughter and I were to become Cecaelia's." the princess revealed tentatively.

"I see."

Feeling a little braver, Ariel chose to speak again.

"Did you orchestrate any of this?"

He smirked at her. The expression was lazy. It was sly. It was one of the most thrilling things she had ever seen.

Her face coloured slightly, she lowered her eyelashes hoping to hide her interest from him.

"What do you think?" he asked, the smirk remaining.

She hesitated.

"I have a feeling that you did," she told him frankly. "But I'm not sure why. I mean … Ursula and Morgana seem to think I'd make a good wife for you and …"

'_Babbling Ariel,'_

"I don't know why any of this is happening," she confessed wearily. "I just want to keep my daughter safe from harm. I'll do whatever it takes."

After a moment's deliberation, Corin took leave of the throne, gliding toward her.

"Come with me," he said.

She hesitated again.

"I have something to show you. Here is not appropriate." He offered her his hand. "Come with me," he repeated, tone coaxing rather then the impatient, aggressive and demanding tones she had come to associate with Ursula and Morgana.

This surprised Ariel quite a bit. She stared at him, somewhat shocked and half expecting to be yelled at or grabbed.

He did neither. He waited. Eyes patient and gentle.

Slowly, Ariel reached for his hand, shivering at the unexpected warmth as their flesh interacted.

"Y-your hand," she stammered.

"Yes?"

"It's warm," she told him.

He smiled at her.

"Come on," he murmured. "This might make things somewhat less confusing."

_**A chamber adjacent with presence chamber**_

Corin led Ariel into another chamber, this one reminding her of the presence room with the exception of a large black and purple clamshell in the very centre rather then twin onyx thrones.

"What's in there?" the princess asked suspiciously, stopping to stare wide-eyed at the gargantuan shell.

"Never you mind about that," her betrothed told her softly. "This way."

He guided her past the monumental clam to a shining black wall with a small mirror mounted upon it.

Easing the mirror aside, Corin revealed a glistening silver necklace adorned with twinkling pink diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. Residing beside the elaborate necklace was a tiny silver, sapphire ring.

"For our betrothal," he told her.

Astonished, Ariel put a hand on her chest.

"They're beautiful," she breathed.

Beautiful indeed.

Definitely more so then the engagement and wedding rings Eric had given her.

Oh yes, these stunners surpassed every precious trinket.

Her heart shot down with shame as she realised what she had been thinking.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, bowing her head. "But I still love my husband."

She turned away, unable to look at Corin, guilt leaking into her through every single aperture on her body.

'_I can't do this,'_ she thought with much disquiet. _'It's not right! He's so wonderful, but this isn't right at all,"_

"I still love my husband," she said again, clearer this time.

"Despite what he did to you?" Corin asked from behind her.

She nodded, hugging herself.

"I knew you would not scream that you were mine and fly into my arms upon our first meeting, Ariel. I am not that arrogant. I am also aware that you believe you have been forced into this, that what you feel or think does not matter."

Ariel bit down hard on her red lower lip, trying not to burst into tears.

He was being so painfully accurate. It felt as if he were thrusting a double-edged sword through her already aching heart.

He understood. He understood how she felt.

Relief hit her like an arrow in the back; the poor woman put a hand to her mouth with the intention to stifle the rapidly approaching sob that was burning its way from her throat into her mouth...

Sensing her quandary, Corin tentatively reached out, grasping her diminutive shoulder.

"It's alright," he soothed, squeezing gently. "It is going to be alright."

Digging her fingernails into the hand that was not covering her mouth, Ariel took a deep breath. She continued to breathe in and out until the painful build up of misery faded thus becoming no more but a slight ache in her throat and chest.

"I'm fine," she muttered roughly, dropping her hand to her side. "I'm fine now."

Corin turned her to face him, holding her arms in his large warm hands.

"I am not an unctuous beast," he told her gently. "And I am not a power addicted bully. Trust in that and trust in this. You need not feel that you have to be announced my bride this very moment. That can wait. My only request is that you listen to what I have to tell you and take my words into serious consideration."

That being said, he let her go.

Ariel felt a strong spark of interest. What did he want to tell her? What did he want her to consider?

"Alright," she conceded mellifluously. "I'll listen."

"No," he said.

"No!" she echoed incredulously and with much bamboozlement.

"It would be a foolish mistake to unload this on you too soon," Corin explained unwearyingly. "I should leave you to rest."

"I don't-"

As if she were frustrated with her mother's indecision, the foetus kicked Ariel hard.

The unwelcome action cut off the mother to be's sentence and for her to screw up her pretty face in discomfort.

Groaning, Ariel put a hand to her globular stomach.

'_Fine,' _she thought irritably.

"Ariel?"

Corin was by her side, a pale arm around her shoulders.

"What happened?" he asked warily.

"The baby kicked me," Ariel explained then grimaced again. She took several deep breaths. Rubbing her stomach fervently.

"I'll send for your midwives," Corin murmured not liking what he was seeing.

"No!" she protested a little louder then what was necessary. "No, I just want to lie down and sleep for awhile. Please don't send for them. I really just want to be alone."

Her shift felt intolerably hot and stifling, the bindings containing her large breasts were tight and uncomfortable.

"You are in pain," Corin said, frowning at her. "I don't think you should retire without a brief once over. One examination and then you will not be harassed by anyone I promise you. You will have an entire day to yourself if you permit this one examination."

The princess offered him a suspicious look.

"A whole day?" she echoed.

It sounded too good to be true.

"I will not endeavour to hamper you, Ariel," Corin explained patiently. "But you and your child are under the protection of myself and my people; we will not see either of you in meagre health."

_**Ariel's chambers**_

After consenting to Corin's wishes, Ariel had been escorted back to her chamber by the palace guards.

She had not seen the witches on the way back and was glad for that small mercy.

She was tired and did not think she would be able to handle Ursula and Morgana's predatory eyes and smug, patronising tones. Well, not until she had been allowed a few precious moments alone to collect her wits at least.

Once inside the copious bedchamber and alone with her thoughts, the weary woman relaxed into the soft sponge, staring blindly up at the ceiling.

'_What's happening to me?_' she wondered.

Previously everything had been so … clear. So uncomplicated. All she had to do to keep herself and her daughter out of tribulations way was to marry, become, a Cecaelia.

Now everything was up in a whirl and she had no idea of which way to turn in order to bring the blissful lucidity back.

Corin was not the odious old man she thought she would be attached to. He was kind, patient. There was no 'quick, quick, quick' or 'Now, now, now' about him. And he was insanely gorgeous.

Those rosy lips. That glistening blue, mane of silky black hair. Those perfect eyes that captivated her so deeply.

God's … his eyes.

It was almost as if he could see into her own soul.

Her loins began to warm up; the princess tilted her head back and gave a soft moan, closing her eyes.

'_I wonder what he'd be like as a lover-Oh Gods!'_

Ashamed, the princess ran a hand over her eyes, sniffing piteously.

Again! Again! She had forgotten about Eric so easily!

This was not right nor was it fair. It was not his fault that she had been unable to give him a male heir. It had been hers, and she was sorry. She was truly sorry.

Now she was paying for her uselessness.

"Split your tail, sweet cakes. Time is of the essence."

Ariel blushed.

"I don't-"

"There isn't time to be a prude, princess," Ursula growled at her intolerantly. "Split the tail or I'll do it for you."

"I can't!" Ariel cried defensively. "It's too hard to open! You'll have to wait!"

"Fine!" Ursula sneered. "We can sit here wait while the poor little baby dies because you're too sanctimonious to open your own fat tail, is that what you want?"

Unnerved, Ariel cringed into the mattress.

"Ursula that was not called for!" Cora snapped glaring ominously at the witch, hovering protectively over a now perfectly cowed Ariel. "You will not rush the princess, am I understood?"

The other female Cecaelian was instantly subdued.

"Of course," she murmured, pursing her lips.

Cora rolled her eyes.

"Wrangling and procrastination achieves nothing!" she hissed at Ursula, not in the least impressed with what was happening in her presence.

With a heavy sigh, the empress directed her attention to Ariel.

"I do understand that you find this disconcerting," she told her with a great deal of sympathy in her bell like voice. "But you must put up with us being here. This is for your own good and the child's."

"The public birth will be worse," muttered Morgana, rubbing Ariel's tail in an effort to get it open.

"There's going to be a public birth?" the mer woman squeaked.

Ursula gave her sister an explosive look.

"Morgana!" she seethed through her white teeth.

"What? I didn't know she'd hear me?"

"Both of you be quiet!" the empress snarled, tentacles flicking like an agitated cat's tail. "We're-"

"It's open!" Ariel announced, abruptly putting an end to the witches and Cora's squabble. "It's open. Just do what you have to do and leave me alone."

After Cora and the witches had left, and her tail had closed up, Ariel's mountainous belly growled with hunger.

With some effort, the woman pulled herself off the bed and floated over to a small rock, inspecting the food Cora had sent for her.

There were green boiled seaweed balls, saccharine red and orange coral sticks, a steaming broth accompanied by a goblet of sea nectar.

Famished, Ariel reached for a ball and bit into it, closing her eyes and groaning with pleasure at the salty flavour on her tongue.

Inside her womb, her daughter nudged her gently then stretched.

"Yes, I know," Ariel said to the babe after swallowing. "I should have eaten sooner."

_**Triton's presence chamber**_

"Sebastian, has there been any word?"

"No ya majesty. Dere's been no sign of da princess," the little red crab informed his king mournfully.

"Have you checked the surface again/"

"Of course!"

Triton sighed, gripping his trident tightly.

"Keep looking," he murmured, waving the crab away. "I want my daughter found."

"Understood, ya majesty."

_**Palace hallway**_

"I was so sure the presence chamber was here!" Ariel grumbled under her breath.

It wasn't. She was lost and feeling pretty much peeved about it.

"I suppose I'll have to retrace my-"

"Lost?"

She swung around, her fist flying.

"Eh, just relax!" Corin and Cora's brother cried, narrowly missing her right hook. "I like my face without bruises thank you very much!"

"Sorry," Ariel apologised warily. "You spooked me."

Nonchalant, Sorja reached out, patting the small head of the startled black sea snake that had been floating by his side.

"You almost gave my friend here an early death."

The snake hissed in confirmation then glared at her through beady amber eyes.

"That's a friend of yours?" Ariel asked sceptically.

"Course. Technically he's one of Cora's pets, but the big guy likes to float around with me." The emperor then cocked his curly head to one side, regarding her. "But you're not interested in our pets are you?" he deduced arching a black eyebrow.

Ariel stroked her stomach.

"I need to find Corin," she explained keeping a cautious eye on the settling snake. "I was told he'd likely be in the presence chamber but I can't find it."

Sorja grinned boyishly at her.

"I'll take you there," he offered.

_**The presence chamber**_

"Oi, found you a stray, brothe!"

Upon hearing the emperor's voice, Corin raised his head from the parchment he had been reading, watching the arrivals float before him.

"Where did you find this one?" he asked his brother, mildly amused.

"The hallway. She was lost," Sorja informed. He grinned puckishly at Ariel before adding. "I didn't know mer people had such rubbish sense of direction."

Corin smirked.

"Thank you for bringing the princess here, Sorja," he murmured, watching Ariel glare at Sorja. "that will be all."

"You sure? I could stay and-"

"Bugger off!"

"Fine, fine."

"I'm ready," Ariel told Corin as soon as they were alone.

"You are certain?" the monarch asked, setting his tattered scroll aside.

"Yes."

He considered her rejoinder for a moment or so then leapt forth, gliding effortlessly toward her.

A little jealous by the beautiful, yet simple fluidity of his movement, Ariel could not help but gape at him

"It's uncouth to stare," he reminded her, yet his mouth offered her a crooked smirk of amusement.

"I wasn't staring!" the princess managed to protest indignantly, colour high in her cheeks.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you weren't," Corin answered with a faint laugh.

"How did you do that though?" Ariel asked, intrigued. "Are all of your kind able to move like that?"

The monarch shrugged.

"I've never really paid very much awareness to how I moved," he told her with all honesty.

"Oh."

His amusement turned into indisputable seriousness.

"Now … are you truly ready?" he asked her softly.

Ariel ran her pink tongue over her lips.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she told him.

He nodded.

"Alrighty then," he murmured. "Close your eyes."

She hesitated then chose to obey. Once enveloped in obscurity, she felt and heard Corin move closer.

His hands cupped her face and her breath came out in a hard shudder. Her nostrils flared. Her body grew warm and tingly.

She shifted a little beneath his hands.

"Shh," he soothed, stroking her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. "Watch. Just watch."

_**A vision**_

In a spacious garden decorated with flowers of many different colours and variety, male and female Cecaelian swam about their beloved queen, bowing their heads respectfully.

.Two large blue translucent eggs containing the precious children clung fast to the bottom of the female monarch's eight tentacles as she moved gracefully through vast crowds, seeking her husband, her waist length light brown hair billowing behind her like a gleaming river of satin. Her creamy skin shining like a newly polished pearl.

Floating beside a gigantic glistening topaz statue of a Cecaelia, a black haired Cecaelian male glided fluidly toward the queen, calling out to her.

Once the queen had finally found her king, she beamed with unsuppressed elation and embraced him hence, as a result, causing the crowd to murmur appreciatively amongst themselves or to clap and cheer.

"My love," the queen breathed, touching her slender, pallid fingers to his cheek, her exquisite grey eyes dancing joyfully. "My Corin ..."

He hugged her tightly, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"I love you too," he murmured.

He reached downward, carefully picking up one of her many black limbs to examine the eggs.

"How are the little ones?" he murmured.

She beamed.

"Good. Not long now."

He lowered the tentacle and kissed her quickly on the mouth, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Not long now," he agreed huskily.

She tangled her fingers in his hair.

"Boys or girls?" she asked him.

He hugged her closer. Resting his chin upon her forehead, he closed his eyes, breathing in her delicate scent.

"It doesn't matter," he told the queen. "Just as long as you're happy."

She grinned.

"A boy and a girl then."

_**End of vision**_

.

A crystal bead of sweat slid down the small of her back.

She felt queer. It was as if … as if she had experienced the vision in a déjà vu like fashion.

Impossible … and yet she had felt everything from skin to emotions.

Slowly, Ariel opened her eyes. Staring into Corin's, she saw fragments of both pain and of tenderness.

Diffidently, she reached up, covering his hands with her own. They trembled beneath hers for but a moment then held steady.

"Who was that?" she asked softly.

His hands slipt away from her face.

Mildly Disappointed, she lowered her own to her sides.

"You know who it was," Corin replied, watching her drop her hands to her sides. "You've only forgotten."

Silence.

Silence for a long time.

"You know who it was," he told her again.

Her body became rigid.

"You know who it was."

"Is she me?" she guessed in a small, fragile voice.

"Yes."

Ariel's lips peeled apart in shock. her face grew white.

"Imp-That's impossible," she choked out, all rigidness forgotten. "It's absolutely-it's impossible! I can't be like you! I don't have any Cecaelian blood in me! This can't be right!"

Corin gave her a sad look then spoke again. His voice was grave. Gentle, but grave.

"There is a lot I can tell you that will help you comprehend this, but it is a long story. Are you willing to listen?"

"I-"

"You have to be definite. I will not share anything with you until you are. What you hear will alter everything you know about yourself. You _have_ to be prepared to listen."

Shaken, Ariel backed away, her blue eyes wide in panic.

"I don't-I don't know," she stammered. "This is too much. It's all happening so fast. Too fast! None of this is what I anticipated! I-I don't know what to do!"

"Then I will make the choice for you. Your health is the only thing that matters. That being said, We will continue this later."

"But-"

"Her chambers are ready," a new voice quipped.

Startled, Ariel near jumped out of her skin.

She whipped around to see the empress Cora floating casually behind them, black snakes on either side of her, luscious pink mouth curled into a faint smile of amusement.

"How did you do that?" the mer woman breathed.

"I can read his mind," Cora replied then grinned smugly. "I'm fast too!"

Corin rolled his eyes.

"Cut it out," he muttered, giving his sister a baleful look.

The empress arched an elegant black eyebrow.

"What?" she asked coyly. "Must I lie?"

Corin snorted.

"Naff off, Cora!" he growled.

"Ohhh, poor sour puss."

Corin gave his sibling a withering look, Ariel a brusque nod, then took his leave of them both, muttering angrily as he left.

Watching him make his almost petulant departure, Ariel fought the urge to yell something a woman of her station would never dream of.

She thought the better of it, quickly suppressing the explicit affront, opting instead to simply float and fume.

"He can be very infuriating," Cora said whilst watching Ariel. "Almost as obdurate as you are."

Ariel stared bamboozled at the Cecaelia, uncertain if that was meant as a compliment or an affront.

Cora just smiled.

"Come on," she said, holding out a hand to the princess. "We've got a lovely new chamber made up just for you. You can have a respite while we'll see how the baby is going."

"Th-thank you, but I think we're both fine," a recoiling Ariel said apprehensively, remembering Ursula and Morgiana's examination, recoiling slightly from Cora who was frowning censoriously at her.

"I understand that you do not feel comfortable with them," the dark haired empress revealed tartly. "I also think it fair to deduce that you are not wholly at ease with any of our kind."

This statement made Ariel's cheeks colour.

"We are not all monsters, Ariel," Corin's sister continued in the same manner. "Ursula and Morgana have a reputation for being unctuous and insatiable; don't think for a moment that I do not, cannot, comprehend how you are feeling. I have seen my people at their worst. I am not ignorant."

The empress' striking face softened. "I am sorry," she apologised lightly. "This bigotry against my people makes me angry. I have a proclivity to lash out before considering the views of others."

Ariel felt her face continue to blush with ignominy. She bit her lip, trying to think of something to say that would remedy the situation.

There was something about Cora she could not help but like. Something almost sisterly.

Was the déjà vu returning again?

"I'm sorry too," she said humbly after a very uncomfortable moment of silence had passed between them. "I'm just so-"

"Confused, betrayed and scared out of your wits?" Cora guessed.

"Yes!" the princess gasped, "And now I find out that I'm supposed to be a queen and your brother's wife! I'm supposed to just ... forget all about Eric, about being human- simply smile and go along with everything you tell me!" She shook her head. "I can't do that. I just can't!"

"Hush now," Cora soothed. "Stop distressing yourself. Ariel, let me take you to your chambers so you can have a lie down. You and Corin will get a chance to talk properly but only when he is satisfied that you have had a decent rest. Do you find that agreeable?"

Guarded, Ariel nodded.

Cora smiled at her then offered her hand again.

"We can look at the foetus later on," she said kindly. "I'll keep the sister's at bay."

Relief spread across Ariel's face.

She had found a friend.

Cora nodded as if knowing what the woman was feeling.

"Yes," she said softly. "You _can_ trust me. I won't let anything happen to you."

Timorously, the princess took the empresses hand and together they swam away from the presence chamber.

_**The presence chamber**_

"So, where's the lucky bride to be?" Ursula asked whilst flouncing into the ostentatious chamber, Morgana by her side.

"Resting," Cora replied taking little notice of the approaching witches, skimming through scraps of parchment. "She is tired and asked not to be disturbed." The empress then looked up, fixing them both with a hard look. "Which neither of you will do I trust?" she asked stoically.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Ursula replied, waving a lavender hand dismissively. "But why isn't she on the throne ordering us around, hmmm?"

"We're not going to frighten the princess into this union, Ursula," Cora informed, frowning her disapproval at the witch. "True, Ariel understands that without our aid both she and her child will be facing a very bleak future, but that does not mean we manipulate or press-gang her. Ariel must warm to Corin and our people on her own."

"Oops," Morgana muttered into her hand.

Cora's blue eyes hardened even more so. Her tentacles twitched.  
A snake beside her raised it's head and hissed.

"What did you do?" the empress whispered and braced herself for the worst.

"Well …" Morgana began and was promptly silenced by one of her sister's black tentacles wrapping snugly around her gob.

"We used our intuitive," Ursula stated, giving her younger sister a contemptuous look. "Think before you open that trap of yours!" she growled.

"Ursula, I am waiting for your explanation!"

"We realised the only way to keep our little sweet cakes from princie boy was to work on him," Ursula divulged breezily.

"Work on him," Cora repeated slowly.

"Yesssss," the witch hissed. "By using the lust he felt for me, and giving him an evening with myself and dear lil Morgy here, it was rather easy to set the ball rolling."

"Mmmph," Morgana added, nodding her agreement.

"And he loved it," Ursula gloated triumphantly. "I made the little fellow cum so hard! Funny that he was so easy. Its the second time I've been able to wrap him around my little finger and-"

"Enough!" Cora snapped sternly.

"What?"

"Same as before, you disobeyed us!" the empress snarled. "Seducing the prince was not part of the plan and you knew it wasn't!"

"But Ariel's here, isn't she?" the lavender witch demanded in an exasperated fashion. "Isn't that a positive thing?"

"Goddess! You hopeless imbecile!" Cora cried angrily. "Ariel is only here because part of the mer people's conversion process did not touch her soul! We know this because the contract pulled her to us! It wouldn't have done such a thing had her soul been wholly converted!"

Cora closed her eyes and bit down hard upon her plump bottom lip, using all her will power not to scream in sheer frustration. Black blood oozed from the shallow puncture and slid down her chin yet she ignored it.

There was no time for fussing over a few droplets of blood. There was a much more pressing matter that needed her attention. One that filled her with the greatest sense of foreboding.

"If Ariel ascertains that you have manipulated Eric again, everything will have been for naught," she paused, her fury growing by the passing moment. "Your instructions were simple," she managed to whisper. The whisper gradually ascended into an enraged shout. "All you had to do was offer the prince a new bride! Let him do the rest, not fuck him again! Because of your lack of better judgement we could lose both mother and child! Do you really want to be responsible for their deaths?"

"We'll still be rewarded, right?" Morgana mumbled hopefully.

"Get out of my sight!"

Releasing her sister, Ursula scowled at the other Cecaelia.

"You are not Corin, you cannot order us around!" she sneered.

"And you are but a witch and midwife to the princess!" Cora answered with the purest contempt. "I suggest that you both stop whoring and do something less destructive!"

Ursula's sensuous red mouth peeled over her teeth in anger.

The empress folded her arms across her black chest, waiting.

"I only answer to Corin, wench!" Ursula spat.

"Only because he had the idiocy to hump you," Cora reminded icily. "Which was only once. He is smarter now and he will not do so again."

At that statement, Ursula gave a snarl of warning. Her tentacles bristled. Her black and lavender body swelled.

Cora tensed, prepared to launch herself at the witches' throat.

Thinking the better of it, Ursula mock curtseyed and departed with her sister in a scatter of bubbles.

Sighing profoundly, Cora slumped against her chair.

Sympathetically, the snakes beside her twined around her body.

'_Corin, Sorja_,' she thought wearily, absently stroking a snake's black nose. _'We have a problem,'_

The monarch appeared alongside his brother in a matter of moments.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The sister's seduced Eric," Cora moaned, raking a hand through her thick black hair.

Sorja hissed angrily but Corin remained calm.

"We have to get rid of them, Corin," Cora pressed urgently, giving their ruler a beseeching look. "Things are fast getting out of hand; we cannot expect the sisters to remain in control."

"They have given us their word," Corin argued softly at last. "This is a grave mistake on their part, yes, but it has worked to our advantage."

"Goddess! You are too tender hearted!" Cora shouted at him, slamming her hand on the armrest of her throne, hence unnerving her snakes. "They both must be destroyed now!"

"You are watching them closely are you not?" Corin asked his sister, cocking up an eyebrow, barely ruffled by her burst of temper.

"Yes, but-"

"They would not do anything imprudent under your watch," the monarch told her, his tone still calm. "Give them their recompense then watch them closely when they examine Ariel. They are the best midwives in the ocean and despite who they are, we need them and we owe them."

"They could blackmail us!" the Cecaelian woman spat. "Corin, think of what this revelation could do to Ariel. It might harm her! It might kill the child!"

"We do this carefully then," Corin countered with the barest trace of impatience in his deep voice. "Don't give them a chance to forget themselves. Watch their every move when they are with the princess and report back to me."

Cora shook her head angrily.

"You are being complacent," she sneered. "The lavender bitch does not deserve your protection just because she had you by the cock!"

Corin bared his teeth.

"You are going too far," he growled at her ominously.

"I have to agree with Cora," Sorja added, frowning at his brother and sister. "The sisters are not here to help anyone but themselves. This is not the first time they have disobeyed us. Brother, Cora is right. Regardless of who they are, they need to be destroyed."

"If any harm does come to either mother or babe on their part, you and Cora can rest assured that they will feel our wrath!" Corin promised heatedly, fed up with his siblings. "I will hear no more of this. We will deal with the situation after Ariel gives birth, not before. Right now we need the sisters alive, am I understood, Cora?"

Cora bowed her head.

"Yes brother," she murmured.

Snakes still entwined around her upper body, the frustrated empress took her leave of the Cecaelians, muttering angrily under her breath.

"You do realise what kind of risk you're taking?" Sorja asked. "No one has instincts like Cora. We should take heed of what she says."

Corin shrugged.

"We've taken risk after risk when it comes to Ariel. So far, because of the sisters, everything has worked to our advantage."

"But for how long?" Sorja argued. "Ursula lost the plot when it came to securing Ariel the first time. Whose to say she won't do it again?"

"Because the reward we are bestowing on her and her sister is profound enough, Sorja," Corin replied evenly. "They won't botch anything this time. They'll be too scared."

Sorja nodded, unwillingly seeing the logic behind his elder brother's words.

"How is Ariel?" he asked after a moment. "Does she remember anything?"

Corin made a face.

"Her memory of us is gone entirely; she allowed me to test her and remembers nothing. But …" he smiled softly. "I think she felt something. If we're patient and honest with her, memories could develop."

Sorja clapped his brother on the shoulder.

"That's excellent news," he said gladly. "You two have been apart for far too long. The Goddess must be smiling down on you both."

"I hope she is smiling down on all of us, Sorja."

_**Ariel's chambers**_

Her breasts were heavy and painful. Her back and tail felt as though they had received a thousand bruises and were laden with heavy stones.

She had slept for several hours undisturbed until now. Thanks to the unmerciful aching and the equally restless child, she could sleep no longer and was growing more restless, cranky and bored by the minute.

'_That does it,'_

Groaning, the woman sat up and heaved herself off the bed.

"Just a little float," she breathed, rubbing her bulging belly. "Everything's alright."

She carefully bound her breasts then donned on a shift. That being done, she made her exit.

_**Outside Ariel's chambers, palace corridor.**_

"Princess," a guard greeted as she floated past.

The woman stopped in mid float, facing the Cecaelian.

"I needed to leave my chamber," she told him. "Please don't tell anyone. I'll only be gone for a little while. You won't need to come with me."

To her surprise, the guard simply nodded.

"Fine by me," he replied heedlessly.

Ariel frowned her puzzlement.

"Am I being watched?" she asked curiously.

The guard shrugged.

"That's not for me to say, Princess. Have to ask Corin bout that, you will."

_**The topaz shrine**_

Ariel had been floating aimlessly for some time and was feeling a little less like an exploding volcano when she came across a doorway.

"What's in there?" she asked one of the guards.

"Topaz shrine, Princess," the guard on her right replied candidly.

"A shrine for …?"

"The Goddess, Princess."

Intrigued, Ariel approached the doorway. Pushing the heavy olive green vine aside, she gasped her surprise and delight.

It was the garden Corin had shown her in the vision. It was exactly how she remembered it but … different.

"They defiled our shrine during the attack."

Ariel spun around with a hand on her chest.

"I wish you hadn't done that," she reprimanded crossly.

Corin offered a shrug.

"Sorry, bad habit."

"So … I am being watched."

A statement, not a question.

"Not all the time," he answered after a while. "You are not a prisoner and we are not fanatical idiots."

Ariel nodded slowly, letting his words sink in. She floated in a lazy circle around the garden, inspecting each delicate flower with careful fingers.

"You had to rebuild everything," she murmured, admiring the silky petal of an ocean lily. "How long did this take?"

"Five centuries."

She dropped the flower she had been holding.

"Five hundred years," she whispered.

Impossible.

"The damage was considerable," Corin explained to her with an air of denunciation. "They did not just … abolish everything. They poisoned the entire chamber before attacking the statue and raping her priestesses"

The beautiful royal looked to the glistening topaz monument, eyes sad, haunted.

"This is where we were married," he whispered. "Where we announced that you were expecting twins."

Ariel watched the Cecaelian ruler with mixed emotions. Part of her wanted to go to him, hold him in her arms.

Another rather anxiously begged her to leave.

Curious that the anxious part reminded her of Flounder.

"I want to know more," she told him softly.

The Flounder part of her that had wanted her to flee screamed its fear loudly in her head.

She shivered.

It was like Ursula's lair all over again. Her heart beat accelerating every passing moment. The voice in her mind, along with Sebastian's, imploring her stop.

'_Corin is not Ursula,'_ she reasoned with herself. _'He's nothing like her."_

No, he wasn't. But the same desirous power she had felt in the witches' lair, in her dreams, emitted off him now like an appealing aroma yet nowhere near as potent as she had recalled it to be.

The aggressive thirst for it was gone. Instead, it seemed to wash over her in gentle waves.

Curious.

Very curious.

Her nose twitched, her body tingled and almost … hummed?

Determined to remain in control, Ariel gave her head a little shake, blinked and slowly approached Corin.

"I _need_ to know more," she added stubbornly. "There was no way I'm going to be good and float away. Not this time."

Facing her, the handsome monarch tilted his head to one side, considering her words.

He said nothing.

"I'm not playing games with your head," she continued wilfully. "I have to know more, Corin."

"You are not well," he murmured noting her paleness and swollen tail.

"I have good days and bad days," Ariel answered evenly. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean you can patronise me. I'm not that fragile."

Corin's rosy lips curled into an acknowledging smirk.

"_Touché'_" he said approvingly.

"I want to know more," the woman stated doggedly.

"You really are an eager beaver, aren't you?" the Cecaelian remarked, amused smirk breaking into a crooked grin. "If I do decide tell you anything will you return to your chambers?"

Ariel bit her lip, mentally debating on what she should say to him. She was so wound up and sore inside. She highly doubted she could sleep a wink at all. But if she were to let Corin know she could not return to rest, he would not tell her anything and the curiosity would surely drive her to lunacy.

'_I could count sheep,'_ the young princess decided. _"That's got to be better then madness."_

"Alright," she agreed with a sigh.

Corin studied her cautiously then nodded.

"Alright," he echoed.

He extended his hand to her. "Come with me."

She frowned at the offered limb.

"Why?" she asked guardedly. "Can't we just stay here?"

He shrugged.

"We could, but you'll be able to pay attention properly if you come with me."

She didn't move.

"I swear, it's nothing sinister," Corin promised with a hint of laughter. "You'll thank me."

'_He did swear in front of a deity,' _

Deciding to be agreeable, the princess reached out and took his hand.

As the warmth from his hand cocooned her own small pale hand, the princess felt her heartbeat quicken with anticipation and the slightest bit of dread.

_**Cecaelian realm, the steaming rock pools**_

Fingers still entwined with Corin's, Ariel stared wide eyed at the innumerable rows of white opal coloured, flower scented, frothing rock pools. The delicate fragrance the pools gave off wafted through her nostrils, reminding the mer woman of honeysuckle, rose and vanilla.

"This is beautiful," she whispered, awestruck, eyes darting here and there as they floated onwards.

Eventually, they came to a stop before two lush rock pools.

"You can get in," Corin told her.

Dubiously, Ariel looked from him to the heavily frothing pool.

"It'll burn me," she told him in a protesting manner. "You first."

He shrugged and let go of her hand.

"Fine."

Without even noticing the fiercely scalding heat, Corin slid into the pool on the near right. There was a soft sloshing sound as he made his descent. The dazzling opal water rose, reaching just above his chest, hiding his rosy wrinkled nipples.

Sighing contentedly, Corin leaned back, resting his head against the smooth, black rock.

Bamboozled, Ariel stared at him.

"It doesn't hurt?" she asked bewilderedly.

He shook his head, closing his eyes.

Licking her lips, Ariel dipped the tip of her tail into the pool across from him.

The water was quite hot, but pleasantly so; reminding her of the luxurious baths she had taken as a human.

She glanced briefly at Corin. Noting he had not changed his position, she put her whole body in.

A low moan of relief instantly escaped her mouth as the hot water soothed her sore and strained body.

"Is that a thank you?"

Ariel blushed.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," she mumbled waspishly. "Thank you," she then added, tying her steam and water dampened hair into a messy red bun. "This does help."

Corin did not speak. His rosy were lips pursed, he seemed to be thinking. But about whom? About what?

Was he going to change his mind?

When she was about to break the silence with a question, he spoke.

"Before you were a mermaid, you were not only my wife. You were the favourite daughter of the Goddess."

Every drop of blood fell away from her face. She felt as if she were going to swoon.

"God's," she moaned and started to slip further into the pool.

"Ariel," Corin exclaimed.

Within a blink of an eye, the Cecaelian ruler was leaning over his pool, holding her arm in order to support her.

"I don't think I want to hear anymore," Ariel whimpered, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"You told me you were ready," he chastised her almost angrily.

"You can't possibly believe that you can tell someone that they had a past life as a Cecaelian Goddesses' daughter and not expect them to feel the slightest bit dizzy?" Ariel all but yelled at him.

Corin sighed.

"After all you had been through I thought this would be like a duck taking to water," he replied dryly.

"Quack, quack!"

"I was being serious."

"Well, it isn't what you thought, Corin! You assumed wrong!"

"I never assume anything," Corin growled, teeth slightly bared.

"I find that very hard to believe," Ariel retorted with a sardonic snort.

Giving her a wry look, the Cecaelian slowly released her.

"Do you want me to go on?" he asked softly.

Ariel stroked her belly.

"Yes," she allowed in a mumble.

"Are you sure?"

"For God's sakes! Stop procrastinating! I'm not delicate!"

He glared balefully at her.

"A child of the Goddess is rare," he said at last. "There are only a few of us in existence. There were more, but they were destroyed in the war."

"The war?" she echoed.

"The war occurred over six thousand years ago," Corin explained warily, keeping an eye on her lest she start to feel faint again. "Centuries before Triton. It began as a surprise attack by mer people. Our children were slaughtered during the battle. You were taken prisoner.

I was over whelmed then beaten into unconsciousness; I couldn't protect either of you."

Ariel lowered her head, staring at her chest. Despite the heat of the water, she no longer felt warm.

She felt sick.

Cold and sick.

Mer people. Mer people killing defenceless children. Taking prisoners … It couldn't be possible.

"By the time I had recovered from my injuries it was too late for our children," Corin continued solemnly. "I had been unconscious for far too long. There was nothing I could do for them. They were already making the journey to the Goddess's haven and word had reached us of your execution."

Ariel flinched sharply, her stomach twisted in painful knots. Beads of perspiration developed on her forehead.

Execution.

Dear God's.

"They wanted to punish us for our beliefs," Corin went on sombrely. "That was the solitary reason for the attack. They couldn't understand us therefore they lashed out at us." He turned to her. "Do you remember your father hating humans and not wanting to co-exist?"

Ariel nodded wordlessly.

"That was the way it was with us. We worshipped the female whilst mer people chose to worship only male deities. This was long before Triton's reign. Things have changed."

'_Yes,'_ Ariel thought, agreeing warily, _'they have,'_

"Your captors sent us a message, detailing how you had died and the aftermath. After torturing you, they put you to death. But that wasn't the worst of it. They had to make us suffer. They had to make _me_ suffer."

"What could be worse then death?" Ariel asked frowning at him. "I don't understand."

"After you died, your executioners trapped your soul, converting it into the soul of one of their own."

Ariel felt her eyes growing wider and wider by the second.

'_This can't be true,'_ she thought. _'My people can't convert souls! They don't perform executions!'_

"Our people, Cora, Sorja … me … We would never see you again. You were no longer a Cecaelia; you could not make the journey to our haven. You were lost to me, to our people."

He bowed his head.

"I took my anger out on the men who had been responsible for your demise and destroyed their converter. We later learned from the ones we kept alive for interrogation purposes that although it had been built specifically for you they had used it on other Cecaelians prior to the attack for testing."

"So there are others like me?" Ariel asked, aghast.

"Hundreds, maybe even thousands," Corin replied in a soft, pondering tone. "We only just scratched the surface when we found you."

Ariel shivered and hugged herself.

"Centuries passed. We lived through them in torment. We could not fathom this. We felt as if we had unknowingly angered our deity and lost her love as a result.

One evening when my pain was at its worst, the Goddess appeared to me. She told me that our people would never lose her love and that King Triton's queen was soon to give birth to a female child with bloody hair. That child would be my lost mate. The mermaid reincarnation of her favourite daughter.

She instructed me to seek out the queen's two midwives, the Cecaelia sisters."

"Ursula and Morgana?" Ariel guessed wearily.

"Yes," he confirmed softly.

She bowed her head.

"Are you alright?" Corin asked her, frowning.

"I'm fine. Go on," she allowed unable to look at him.

Corin shook his head again.

"You are weary. You need to rest."

"No. I'd rather stay here and hear more."

"Ariel-"

"Please. You can see that I've been resting and that I'm feeling much better. I'm so sick of all these cliffhangers. Please stop stalling, Corin."

He gave her a doubtful look.

"I have concerns," he growled at her. "You are returning to your chambers."

She glared at him.

"I want to know more tomorrow."

"I don't think-"

She stilled his words with another heated glare.

"I don't care what you think. I'm going to hear more tomorrow whether you like it or not."

Now he was glowering at her.

"As you wish," he conceded at last in a great huff. He slid out of the pool, offering his hand. "I'll take you back to your chambers. Make sure you rest or I will have nothing to say to you for a fort night."

"Don't worry," Ariel spat, not taking the hand. "I won't give you a reason to hold back on me, Corin."

_**Ariel's chambers**_

Angry and confused, Ariel gave the luxurious bed a offended look and chose to lie down on the cold sandy floor instead, staring up at the walls.

"Well … Can't actually go home to Daddy and blame him for this," she muttered darkly under her breath.

So … She was a Cecaelia trapped in a mer woman's body. She was a daughter of the Cecaelian Goddess and she was a Queen, not a princess, a Queen!

"Give me yesterday!" she moaned, wiping a hand across her suddenly watering eyes. "I want yesterday back!"

Yesterday. Yesterday When she was just a silly girl who loved humans. Yesterday When she was the wife of a handsome, sweet human prince.

This was not what she wanted.

She wanted yesterday back. She ached to have it back.

"Ariel, why are you lying on the floor?"

The princess looked to her right to see a bemused Cora floating in the doorway.

"I'm just confused," she told the woman waspishly. "Very, very confused."

Cora nodded.

"I see."

She landed neatly beside Ariel. Lying on her back she faced the woman and arched her eyebrows expectantly.

"What did my brother do this time?"

Ariel blanched at the empress.

"We-ell … err…"

"Yes?"

"Your brother said that I am the reincarnation of his wife and that angry mer men executed me over six thousand years ago because they didn't understand how Cecaelians could worship a female deity rather then a male."

Cora nodded again.

"I see," she murmured softly.

"That's the second time you've said that," Ariel grumbled.

"Are you angry because of what he has told you or because he is making you wait before he tells you more?" Cora asked folding her arms across her chest.

"I don't know!" Ariel wailed smacking the dirty floor with her palm. "Right now I just want the past. Everything was clear then. Now it's all muddled."

"Maybe you want it to be muddled," Cora said gently after a lengthy pause. "You know that my brother won't push you into a union. Maybe you believe that by denying yourself a chance to be happy with Corin you can go back to Eric."

Ariel stiffened, her cheeks coloured.

"We are not playing games with you, Ariel," Cora promised. "This is who you are. Who you truly are. Why do you want to live a lie?"

"Because I am a mer woman! it's who I am," Ariel croaked pitifully. "And if I let it go I'll let go of Eric. I won't love him anymore."

"From what I have seen, I don't think Eric deserves your love, Ariel," Cora muttered.

The princess bridled at this.

"You don't know him!" she insisted angrily. "He didn't have a choice!"

Cora shook her head.

"Everyone has a choice, Ariel. Everything we do is a choice. Eric could have stood up for you and your daughter but he did not. He chose not to. That is the truth. Now you have a choice of your own to make. You can wallow in self-pity and dwell over your precious yesterdays or you can look forward. You can be our Ariel again and be happy. You deserve to be happy."

Ariel rolled onto her side.

"You deserve to be happy," Cora said again and left the princess alone with her thoughts.

_**End of part 4**_

_**Authors note**_

Our little princess knows what Eric did to her was wrong, but she still loves him and doesn't have the strength to deal with the problem because the wound from his betrayal is so deep and has only just started to knit back together. She is also finding herself, not in love but deeply attracted to Corin. She doesn't really know what to do about that either.

This is partially due to whom he is and what he has told her and her love for Eric.

This was probably one of the least enjoyable chapters to write. I was quite worried about the way I presented Corin. I didn't want Corin to seem insane or allow Ariel to fall in love with him right away.

Right now all Ariel feels aside from frustration is basically a strong physical attraction and a need to get to know who he is and who she was. She's also grateful he is being kind and helpful. She feels as if she has been lost and has now found a sanctuary. This is why her feisty side has only just begun to creep out of its shell. it will take a while for Ariel to become the cheeky red head we all know and love and sometimes find hard to tolerate .

Inspiration for the whole soul thing came from listening to Pat Caroll sing "Poor unfortunate souls" , "Harry Potter" , "Twilight" and my favourite Hugh Jackman film "The Fountain"

Thank you for reading.

Leah.

_**Review replies**_

I've well tardy with my review replies, sorry about that fellas!

Jao-Mcknight- Thank you very much for the lovely review. I agree with you about Eric. He did seem rather idealised. And I also agree with your theory about him growing tired of Ariel. I don't think Eric is a bastard, but I just can't bring myself to "love" him and Ariel together.

Toons27-Thank you for the review, I am sorry that you did not like the summary or the characterisation I used, but hey, if we all liked the same things the world would be a pretty average place wouldn't it?

With the greatest respect, however, you did not offer an enlightenment on what summary or characterisation you did not find to your liking.

Was it the mention of slash? Or was it because Eric and Ariel are not as lovey dovey as they are portrayed in the films?

I can only guess here. Would you be so kind as to pm me and tell me about your dislikes? I don't bite, promise. I may not be able to change the direction this story is going in, but I am more then happy to read your opinions.

Vestor-Thank you! That's very kind of you

Yolen Yui-Dark and twisty is good, that's all you need to know. Glad you loved it!

Wrathofbalance-Thank you for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed the way I had written Ariel. I took a massive gamble writing about her the way I did.

Plume De Papillion-Thank you so much! I found Ursula's voice a delightful thing. It's a joy to listen to because it changes so much, especially when she sings.

Ariel was feeling insecure because she knows how much a son will boost Eric's popularity with his people. She didn't want to fail him because she loves him.

This fiction is focused on women empowerment and discrimination before the twenty first century. I got this inspiration by reading and watching about homophobia, racism and female discrimination in various countries.

Jafarjasmineforever2005-Thank you!

Buffybot-Thank you! I'm glad you like the original characters. I'm having a ball writing about them. It's nice to know that you think I'm "Crazy talented" to.

shobsnet02-Thanks a lot. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait. I love your PM's, they always make me laugh.

Sorry that you hate Eric, lol!

Lastly, to everyone else.

Sincerely, thank you for reading the story. If you liked it. Great! If not, oh well.

Hope you are enjoying the New Year!

Leah.


	5. Part 5

_**She dreams, part 5**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Ariel learns more about her life with Corin and his people.

_**Disclaimer**_

I do not own a thing! Rats!

Rated M for strong sexual content and some much needed angstiness!

Written in Australian and UK English. All flames and Sue grumbles will be ignored.

Just a pre warning, I have never seen the prequel to TLM, I do not think the film has been released in Australia yet. In addition, I have only seen parts of the TV series.

Another warning to Eric fans, there is a bit of Eric bashing, not much, but it was required for the story. Also, beware of the cranky, pregnant, Ariel.

Also, is not saving my page breaks, I'm sorry if this causes a hassle.

Finally, the next chapters will probably be up later on in Feb if not next year.

_**Cora's chambers**_

"Oh … what are you doing here?" Cora groaned whilst glaring balefully at the three Cecaelian males perched on the bed she shared with her mate, waiting for her with curious eyes.

"Just wanted to know how it went with Ariel," Sorja answered innocently, curly ringlets bouncing around his head.

Cora fixed Corin with an icy look.

"You've upset her!" she accused.

Corin snorted.

"She wanted to know," he divulged defensively. "You know that."

"Right now she's wishing none of this had happened," Cora informed him. "What do you have to say about that?"

Corin shrugged.

"Oh please, have a clue, brother!" Cora snapped exasperated. "Or at least tell me what you plan to do? You really did botch things with Ariel. She isn't happy, you know."

"We let her ponder," Corin answered. "She needs time."

"All of this pondering is stressful for her and the child," Orion said giving his mate a knowing look. "Perhaps tomorrow you should tell her everything?"

"Then what, Orion?" Corin argued. "Her child is at risk!"

"From what I can see, the child is at risk whether you hold back or not, Corin," Sorja said, his tone dour. "But I think it is better to let her have the whole truth rather then have it in little pieces. Take her back to the pools, you told us she likes it there, and let her have it."

Corin dropped his head, staring at his clasped hands.

"Brother?"

"Fine," the royal growled under his breath. "I'll tell her everything. But she had better be prepared." He raised his head, locking his odd coloured gaze with Cora's. "I want the shield around the child checked," he told her in a no room for tarry tone. "Pour whatever you have to down her throat or I will tell her nothing!"

Cora nodded.

"I'll see to it," she told him briskly. "The sisters and I are to examine her tomorrow morning."

Corin rose fluidly from the bed.

"If anything should happen to her or the babe …" he hissed.

"It will be on my head," Cora finished with grim audacity.

"It will be on all of our heads, Corin" Sorja added from behind her.

The look on Orion's face indicated that he agreed.

Saying nothing else, Corin swept out of the chamber.

"That's a relief. Not being funny but I really did think he was going to have a conniption," Sorja said whilst watching Corin leave them alone.

"He loves her but she just can't see it," Orion remarked, holding Cora's hand.

Cora licked her lips.

"She's scared," she murmured.

_**The rock pools**_

"I am going to tell you everything now," Corin told the young woman as she lowered her heavy body into the pool across from his.

"Everything?" Ariel echoed, surprised.

"Everything."

She nodded.

"Good."

Corin wetted his suddenly dry lips with his tongue. He felt nausea in his belly and wished it would go away.

He breathed in.

The nausea faded.

"I took a risk and left the sanctuary of our palace," he told her. "It took me many weeks of searching to find the sisters, but I did.

I did not need to describe to Ursula and her sister about the Goddess. Although they were raised outside our realm they were not ignorant. Their mother and father had raised them to be faithful to our deity despite the new order that all creatures of the ocean were to worship Poseidon only and that worshipping another would be considered treasonous and punishable by death.

I explained what had happened to you to the sisters and asked them to help me watch over then secure you when you were older. Taking you from the palace as an infant would have been too difficult; there were many guards patrolling the palace and too many suspicious minds. Waiting was the best and only option available to me.

The sisters consented to abet me in return for protection from Triton and his queen should they ever find out about our plan. Thanks to Shellsa, we now had a shield wall protecting our kingdom thus making it invisible to the naked eye, protecting anyone from hordes of angry mer people would not be difficult or life threatening.

The month of your birth came about. I anxious to see you, but showing my face in Triton's court would have been disastrous. Though slim, there was a chance that mer people involved with your execution and the war would be attending your birth, I had to remain in hiding. But," Corin then smiled exultantly. "I was able to give you your name."

Air shot through Ariel's nostrils and they flared like an equines.

"My name?" she echoed sitting up. "What?"

"With Cora and Sorja's help, I pulled my soul from my body and watched your birth," Corin told her unwearyingly. "I whispered your name into your mother's ear and she gave it to you."

"My sister's told me I was called Ariel because my mother and father both liked the name," Ariel whispered looking at the pale water covering her from the chest down. "But that wasn't the case at all … it was you."

"It was a way of making a connection," Corin told her. "Not as binding as the contract, but it was a start."

Ariel bit her lip apprehensively.

"So that is it," Corin murmured with finality. "Why you are here. Why you were put through so much."

"But I can't remember you!" she protested. "It's too … It's too bizarre to be real. And-"

A whirlwind of images swept through Ariel's mind before she could finish, mostly consisting of Ursula and Morgana.

She put a hand to her forehead, feeling dizzy.

"Ariel?"

"How could you trust them?" she demanded groggily before Corin could say anything else.

He seemed mildly flummoxed.

"Whom?"

"Ursula and Morgana?" she prompted heatedly, the grogginess turning into snideness. "It's not as if they have "Trust worthy sea witches" tattooed on their foreheads," she added harshly.

"I needed all the help I could get," Corin told her frankly, all flummox set aside. "I gave no real thought to their unctuousness. All I knew was that I needed to find a way to bring you back to me. Having them watch over you until it was time for me to make a move was expedient. It kept Triton at bay. It gave you time to grow."

Ariel scowled at him.

"I see," she said frigidly.

He arched an eyebrow.

"Do you want me to go on?"

Ariel nodded, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes," she mumbled.

"Some time had past when we learnt that Triton was becoming wary of the sisters. I realised keeping Ursula and Morgana in the palace any longer would be catastrophic to my cause. For that reason we created a scenario where the sisters would be accused of practising witchcraft on mainly mer people."

Ariel cringed involuntarily.

The polyps. The screaming creatures with wart ridden, clammy hands.

Their screams filled her mind. Their pitiful cries cut into her heart.

He let the witches do that to her own people all in the effort of attaining her.

Disgusted, she looked away from him, opting to fix her gaze on the ever-rising steam.

"They were found out and all Cecaelians were banished from Triton's palace." Corin pursed his lips grimly. "I did not realise that his rage would extend to the others. It was idiocy on my part to believe otherwise."

'_Karma,'_ she thought slightly smugly.

"We took them all in. Men, women and children. They hate the sisters but they trust us. They know we will never let any harm come to them."

A sharp pang of compunction shot through Ariel as she realised her thoughts about karma had been cruel and immature.

Corin, his family and their people had every right to be able to live with reverence and without fear of rebuke. It was downright inconsiderate and discriminating to think otherwise.

"I remember people talking about it," Ariel remarked uneasily, still refusing to look at him, not wanting him to see the shame in her eyes. "I wasn't very old but I remember Father being so angry with them. Adella told me later that he wanted them to die but my mother wouldn't allow it. It was her idea that they'd be punished and banished then all of the Cecaelians should be banished on pain of death just to be on the safe side."

"The sisters weren't all that happy with me either," Corin admitted reflectively. "Apparently life in Triton's Palace isn't all that easy to let go of once you've had a taste of it."

"_I never really found anything addictive about it,"_ Ariel thought.

"As you already know, well as banishment, Triton took the sister's youth away, thus making things even more unpleasant for them. When they were young, they were beautiful. Ursula especially. She had enough lovers to fill a hall.

Triton's queen often feared that he would have her removed so he could take Ursula as his wife." Corin smirked before adding dryly. "She was more then a little glad Triton took such a feature away from the witch."

"Father had to use magic to make Ursula and Morgana age?" Ariel exclaimed. "That means you can't age." She shook her head, bewildered. "That's impossible," she said almost to herself. "Everyone ages."

"Normal Cecaelians age slower than humans and mer people," Corin explained. "They can stay alive for at least ten thousand years. Mer people, on the other hand, may live for three to six thousand whilst a human would be lucky to reach ninety should they keep in good health. But if you are a child of the Goddess, you cannot age. Die, yes, but not age."

Ariel sucked in air through her nostrils.

"You told me that I died," she spat accusingly. "That means everything you told me so far was just a lie."

She moved to get out of the pool.

"Not necessarily," Corin contradicted. "Before you say anything else against me, Ariel, may I remind you that our souls can be restrained. Had that been the case with yours, none of this would have happened."

The princess heard frustration in his voice and felt somewhat ashamed for being so impatient and pessimistic. She had not meant to irritate him.

She resumed her place and nodded for him to continue.

"After your birth we waited for the best time to act," he told her sagaciously. "It was precisely three months after your sixteenth birthday when we saw you swimming through the wreckage of a ship," Corin's exquisite lips curved into an amused smirk. "You handled the shark nicely by the way," he added with a pinch of admiration.

"Why didn't you show yourself?" Ariel asked suspiciously.

"To put it bluntly, I was still wary of your father, he was still furious with the sisters and I thought you were too young. You needed to mature."

Ariel frowned at him, not wholly finding his answer to her liking.

She had always thought herself as a very mature sixteen year old.

"Seeing this as my only chance, I ordered Ursula to change you into a human. The contract she used for you to sign bound you to me. So if you were to remain on the surface-"

"It would make me want to go back into the ocean and find Ursula," Ariel finished stunned.

Corin nodded.

"I arranged for her to bring you here after a few years of human life. Our plan was botched when she allowed her lust for power and hatred for your father get the better of her."

"When she almost killed Eric and me," Ariel said recalling the giant witch, the storm, the scream of intense agony when Eric gored Ursula with the ship.

"Yes," the Cecaelian ruler murmured somewhat ashamed, baffling the princess. "I am sorry for the pain that incident had caused you both," he told her sincerely. "It was never meant to be that way. Ursula's greed is unpredictable. I should have handled her more carefully."

Ariel said nothing.

"Should I go on?"

She nodded mutely.

"We managed to preserve Ursula's body after the battle despite the state it was in, and restrain her soul. I nonetheless punished her for her mistake by refusing to reincarnate her until you were brought to me."

"So my blood wasn't necessary?" Ariel finally muttered a little sourly.

Corin snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

"Call it theatricality on Morgana's part. She has always been prone to being a drama queen."

"And Ursula ... Is that why she's so humble around you?" the princess asked mellifluously. "Because you punished her?"

The man tilted his head back, offering the woman a bark of laughter.

"I scare her witless."

Ariel frowned mentally. She found it hard to believe that anyone could sc_are Ursula or her sister witless._

"If you reward Ursula this time, will she go over the top again?" she asked him in a sceptical tone, folding her arms across her chest.

"If she does, she'll suffer for it," Corin promised darkly. "She's smarter now."

Ariel bit her lip, not certain what she should believe.

"Magic is manipulative," she said at last, sitting forward. "What do you really want, Corin? To hurt my father?"

"It was neither your father nor his people who butchered you and our children. The people I held accountable were from another ocean. We dealt with the ones we could find accordingly. Unlike the witches, I have no quarrel with Triton. He cannot be held responsible for actions he did not commit."

"Would you have let her hurt him though?" Ariel whispered all the while looking earnestly into Corin's stormy eyes. "Would you?"

"No," he replied without hesitation. "All I agreed to was a small humiliation. I had no idea Ursula was going to let go of her senses like that."

Ariel worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

"It's too good to be true," she muttered at last. "I'm sorry, but it is."

"Then let me put something else to you," he told her, eyes gleaming intently. "As you already know, before our realm was brought to her knees we worshipped the female. She was sacred to us. The mer people did not understand or approve of our beliefs. They preferred to worship male Gods and could not comprehend why we would want to worship someone who was supposed to be so meek and yielding. Ultimately their confusion became so profound it made them turn to bloodshed."

"My father encourages his people to treat everyone as an equal," Ariel pointed out. "That's why no one really minds who sits on the throne."

"Yes, but the order of things had been changed before you were reborn, Ariel," Corin reminded dryly. "When Triton and his queen came into power, they made changes, wanting equality amongst males and females rather than discrimination. People were allowed to worship whatever deity they wanted without fear of execution.

I admired them both for being so bold. Had our kind not been banished from Triton's court and ocean, I would have given him my support whole heartedly."

"Is that what you hope to gain by marrying me?" Ariel asked, leaning backward this time. "A political alliance?"

Corin's eyebrows rose.

"You still cannot believe that I want to marry you simply because you _are_ my wife?" he asked her, incredulous. "Even after all that has happened?"

Ariel pressed her back further against the heated pitch-black stone.

"It's just not possible," she said nervously, twiddling her thumbs under the water. "If I were your wife I'd remember you. I wouldn't have wanted to be a human and marry Eric."

"So, let's make it simple for the time being?" he suggested almost playfully.

"How?" she demanded at a complete loss.

How on earth was any of this going to be easy to wrap her brain around?

"By believing that I want a political alliance with your father. It is true."

Ariel hesitated.

"Maybe," she murmured trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice.

Corin leaned forward, stormy eyes locking with her own bright sapphire.

"Something else is stopping you," he murmured intensely. "What is it? Is it Eric? Or is it Ursula?"

Ariel felt the heat rise in her cheeks. The way he was looking at her right now made her heartbeat quicken.

Her loins became warm. Beneath the water, she squirmed restlessly as a wantonness desire gradually began to take over.

"Are you afraid of me?"

She began to tremble.

"I-I don't-" she blinked. "I mean … I don't know. I …"

"Shh …"

Corin's hand slid out of the odd coloured, frothing water, reaching out to touch her face.

Ariel shivered and flinched beneath his hot, wet hand.

"Shh …"

She closed her eyes.

"I know you've been scared," Corin murmured. "I will never give you reason to fear me. I am not like them. I promise you."

His slender fingers rubbed her cheeks, caressed her eyelids, lips and forehead.

A familiar scent found its way into her nose. Following it, a delicate pulse developed inside her fanny.

She almost moaned aloud.

"I could kiss you right now," Corin whispered.

Curiously, it seemed as if he was a million miles away and she was floating high above on a cloud of sexual pleasure.

The woman slowly opened her eyes.

He was so close now. A few more inches and he would be in her own pool.

"You could," she agreed softly.

Thanks to the smell Corin emitted, Ariel was able to shake off her inhibitions. The perfume gave her courage, it made her feel curious, excited. Her defences, like a guarded tiger, lowered themselves to the floor, leaving her free.

'_Let yourself go … you want this … you deserve this. Be happy,'_

His fingers tangled in her hair, ruining the bun until the bloody tresses fell about her like a waterfall.

'_I want to hurt Eric. I want revenge,'_

Fucking.

Before even knowing of Eric's existence, thanks to eavesdropping on her sisters chats about their secret trysts with other mer boys or men, Ariel had always known that there was fucking and then there was love.

However, she had never once believed till now that one did not have to be in love to enjoy being ravished.

What she was feeling right at this moment was not love. It was desire. A strong desire to be fucked. A strong desire for revenge.

What better way to get even with her cheating prince?

Eyes darkening, Corin's large hand drifted lower and lower. Grasping her arm, he gently pulled her forward till their noses almost touched.

"But will you kiss me back?" he asked huskily.

Her heart was pounding like a drum.

"Only one way to find out," she whispered.

She smashed her lips onto his.

Jerking backwards, Corin seemed taken by surprise by her forwardness. He recovered quickly, returning her kiss with equal hunger.

When the barrier between them became too vexing, he dexterously manoeuvred the woman into his own pool.

Facing her back to him, Corin nibbled up and down her neck while his hands toyed with her hidden nipples.

Ariel closed her eyes and whined; arching her body as her neither region quivered and grew hotter and hotter with anticipation.

"Please …" she ground out through tightly clenched teeth. "Oh please."

Corin's arms wrapt snugly around her, hugging her to his lean body, rubbing her stomach and aching nipples with the flat of his palm.

"Please …"

Growling wolfishly, he worked his way from her neck to her lips, sucking then catching them between his teeth, being careful not to hurt her.

Impatient, Ariel's tongue aggressively pushed against his mouth, trying to find a way inside.

Laughing deep within his throat, Corin playfully resisted.

And then her blasted boy prince paid a visit to his mind.

The lad was smiling and laughing. Around him hung the stench of lavender, dog, horse and sweat.

The Cecaelian ignored it, refusing to be cowed.

This mental picture was perfectly above suspicion. It was natural.

But what was most disconcerting was the following image.

Ariel and Eric … lying naked and entwined on a white satin, red rose petal strewn, bed. Their scents mingling, faces happy and content.

Her wedding night.

Jealously and repulsion welled up in Corin's breast. Covetously he clutched the princess tighter to his wet, hot body.

Seeing that he had let his guard down, Ariel swiftly manoeuvred her body till she was facing him. Wasting no more time, she bent her head toward him, thrusting her pink tongue hard against his teeth.

Corin growled at her but she was persistent, pushing and pushing till he gave in, groaning in ecstasy as she vigorously explored his mouth.

He shifted back, letting her settle on top of him, running his hands up and down her slender back.

Ariel whined again. She felt as if she were on fire. A fire that didn't hurt. A fire that made her feel as if she was soaring.

'_Why didn't you make me burn, Eric? Why didn't you make me soar?'_

She tangled her hands in his hair, entwining her tongue with his own, ardently recapturing his mouth and sucking on his tongue.

Leaving his fears behind, Corin rolled till she was beneath him. Panting, he eased his black member out and rubbed it against her cyan tail.

"Oh!" Ariel gasped.

In Corin's mind, Eric appeared again.

This time the young prince was on his knees begging Ariel for forgiveness, promising resolutely that he would never lie with another woman ever again.

The princess had an empowered look on her face. Her blue eyes sparkled in the aftermath of her rightfully received vengeance.

Corin closed his eyes. Bile rose in his throat.

He saw a tired but joyful Ariel was lying in bed, tenderly suckling a small baby human girl to her bosom.

Eric and his family surrounded the four-poster bed, looking upon her and the suckling babe with glowing, happy faces.

Unable to stand anymore, Corin abruptly pulled his head away from Ariel's active mouth, startling the woman from her passion play.

"Cor-Corin?" she managed to stammer, bewildered.

Panting deeply, he buried his face into Ariel's swan like neck.

"I want you … but I can't," he whispered brokenly. "I can't."

His taut member, pressed against her nearly split tail, reluctantly slid back into hiding.

Cuddled against him, Ariel felt her heart gradually slow down to normality. She felt an immense range of emotions hit her all at once like a battering ram would a wall.

Relief, longing, regret, self-hatred, pity, shame.

.

She sagged against Corin's heaving body, unable to bear the weight of them. Hot tears seeped down her flushing cheeks and the approaching climax she had been so desperately craving faded into a disappointing nothing.

Corin nuzzled her neck.

"I cannot take you by force," he told her ruefully. "He is still in your mind. I can't compete with him. I won't." He pulled away in order to look down at her, his beautiful eyes filled with grief. "You have to become my Ariel on your own," he told her forlornly, stroking her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. "There's no other way."

"You've already taken me by force," the young woman whispered, staring up at him, tears still rolling down her ruddy cheeks. "You could have left me alone but you didn't."

Wrenching herself away from him, Ariel floated to the rock pools entrance, her eyes scathing, her mouth pouting.

He followed her. Not at all impressed with her behaviour.

"You look like a child who is about to have a conniption," he snapped.

"Well I think that would be my prerogative, wouldn't it?" Ariel demanded crossly. "You wanted me to be with you. I was more then happy to oblige then all of a sudden you're flaccid!"

"I am not flaccid!" Corin protested indignantly. "I merely realised that taking advantage of you whilst you are pining over your stinking husband was wrong! I also don't believe that getting back at him by shagging me is the answer to any of your problems!"

"Eric doesn't stink!" Ariel shouted defensively, tiny fists balling. "Your big nose just likes to misconstrue everything!"

And with a loud huff, she left.

_**Ariel's chambers**_

After throwing a grey statuette at a wall, Ariel opted for a lie down.

"Damn you!" she snapped and punched at the spongy mattress.

Corin had seen right through her. Definitely not what she had wanted him to do. Yes, she had wanted him to fuck her just so she could be even with her husband. The idea of revenge intercourse had been deliciously perfect at the time. Now it made her feel sour and needy.

"Little one, I have really made a gigantic mess of things," she moaned to her child.

In response, the foetus kicked its mother hard, making Ariel gasp in pain.

"Fair enough," she conceded, patting her sore belly. "But I won't be talking to him till I'm ready."

Lying down, she nestled into the bed, closing her eyes.

'_Sleep without the perchance to dream,' _she thought.

No matter how she tried, Ariel could not get to sleep. Eric haunted her whenever she closed her eyes. His happy face smiling at her. His joyful voice ringing in her ears, calling for her.

She missed him.

A woman with strength, self-respect and pride would have been able to move on. But she did not want to be strong. If not being able to move on meant that she was a weakling then she was glad. It made her resolve to return to her beloved prince much, much stronger.

And she would return to Eric. She would forgive him. She would take him in her arms and kiss all of his fears and doubts away.

And then they would be happy.

All she needed was a plan.

She rolled onto her side, hugging her belly.

"Sleep, sleep," I want to go to sleep," she moaned.

It was much later when she was jolted from her slumber by a soft whimpering sound.

Groggily, the princess sat up.

"Who are you?" Ariel demanded rubbing the sleep from her eyes before warily eying the Cecaelia in front of her. "What's going on?"

Like the other Cecaelians Ariel had been acquainted with, this woman was incredibly beautiful to behold. Luminous skin. Large, solemn grey eyes and a sensuous pink mouth.

But she was translucent.

"I can see right through you," Ariel whispered, enthralled. "You're-you're a ghost!"

"I'm you," the floating beauty replied in a soft whisper. "I'm not a ghost. I am you."

The pregnant Cecaelian queen …

God's!

Ariel froze. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end.

"This is …"

"I need to go back!" the Cecaelia pleaded cutting Ariel off. "I've come so far. Let me go back!"

Ariel shook her head.

"I can't … I can't do it. That life is over!"

"He is calling to you!" the Cecaelia cried angrily. "How can you deny your own soul? You are home now! You are where you belong!"

Ariel scowled at the apparition.

"I am not you," she spat bitterly.

Queen Ariel's anger melted away turning into profound sorrow.

"Don't keep me in my cage, I am begging you. Let me out! Let me out!"

Ariel shook her head.

"Go away," she said with finality. "I'm tired. I want to sleep,"

"You are denying yourself!" the dead queen cried despairingly. "Please stop it!"

The miserable princess buried her face into her arm, breathing deeply, tears soaking her skin and cushion.

"I can't do this anymore. I won't!"

She raised her head to see if the other Ariel was there.

Nothing.

It was as if she had never been there.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Ariel slipped off the bed.

She had enough.

_**Hallway near the presence chamber**_

Peeking from behind a slender grey stone pillar, Ariel looked to her left and then to her right.

So far, so good.

The guards had been exceptionally effortless to avoid. There weren't all that many and they seemed to be dozing.

But she had yet to find a way out of the palace.

"There's got to be a way," she murmured under her breath, cursing herself for not thinking of a better escape method.

Ariel looked down to her belly, stroking it gently.

"Wish me luck," she whispered.

Before she could make another move, a voice in her head stopped her.

'_What are you doing?'_ it demanded insolently. _'He loves you! He wants to amalgamate with your father!'_

'_I love Eric,'_ Ariel mentally shot back. _'Corin loves a spirit!'_

'_No he doesn't! He genuinely loves you! He's trying to help you! You're just throwing it back in his face all because you're selfish and insecure! You know Eric only ever wanted you for your voice!'_

'_No, that's not true at all, he loves me and I love him! I love Eric! I can't be in love with anyone else! Corin will never love me for me. He'll always want a ghost. I can't compete with a ghost! He can't compete with Eric, it's not fair to him, I have to leave!'_

'_Then you're an idiot! By doing this, you've put a noose around your daughter's neck and destroyed your "real husband.'_

'_Go away!'_

Swallowing hard, the princess clenched her jaw determinedly and prepared to swim again.

"Leaving?"

Startled, Ariel gave a cry. Whirling around, she found Cora, Sorja and their mates floating behind her.

Orion and Sorja's faces were a mixture of sorrow and outrage whilst their mates seemed mysteriously calm.

"Don't do this," Sorja murmured. "Ariel. You-."

"I want to go to Eric," Ariel stated, enmity fast taking over her surprise. "I want to go to right him right now!"

Cora was the first to approach.

"Ariel, please-"

"Don't leave."

Both women swung to their left.

Corin solemnly emerged from a patch of shadow.

"Don't leave," he said again.

A sudden laugh burst from Ariel's mouth. She did nothing to stifle it.

"Why Corin?" she demanded. "Are you afraid?"

She laughed again. The sound was almost hysterical.

"I'm more afraid that you'll upset yourself," Corin answered steadily, his lovely eyes full of foreboding. "And your child, what of her? She is already changing. If you were to go to the surface the overturn of the transformation could kill her."

"I'm willing to take that chance," the princess insisted single-mindedly. "My daughter is strong and Eric can be reasonable. I can go back and fix everything. We love each other. We can handle this! I know we can!"

Corin bowed his head.

"I want to go back to Eric right now, Corin!" Ariel shouted at him, her patience wearing thin. "I am not your prisoner! You told me you could not force me to love you! I don't! I love Eric! I will always love Eric and nothing will ever change that!"

"I know," Corin whispered. He raised his head, looking at her with defeated eyes. "I will let you go."

"You're fucking Barmy!" Sorja cried.

Shellsa gave their ruler a shocked glance.

Even Orion was flabbergasted.

A pang of guilt shot down Ariel's spine.

"Thank you," she breathed, ignoring the emotion as it swelled in her breast. "I'm grateful."

'_And so sorry for hurting you,'_

"To make it easier to reach the surface undetected, Shellsa will put an orb around you," Cora explained to Ariel. "Once you tell it to, it comes off, understand?"

Ariel nodded.

"You must realise that the baby will be threatened by the transformation and shield removal, Ariel," Shellsa added gravely. "She may not be able to survive."

"I know, but she's strong," the princess replied, patting her stomach.

Corin approached her.

"Should you change your mind," he began gently.

"I won't!" she snapped, cutting him off venomously. .

"Should you change your mind," the monarch continued firmly, ignoring the anger in her eyes. "You can return. We will bring you straight back here the moment you call for us."

"I won't," the woman repeated, her tone a little less furious. "I don't belong here. I'm not coming back."

"You wanka," Orion hissed at Corin as they watched Ariel float out of the sanctuary of the palace towards the surface.

"You're barking!" Sorja added, disgusted.

Corin said nothing. He continued to watch the princess' ascent.

When she was gone from his sight, he too vanished.

"Corin!" Orion shouted after him. "For the love of-Don't let her go!"

"Leave him alone," Cora murmured putting a slim hand on her beloved's arm.

"But he's-"

"He loves her," the empress cut off sharply. "And sometimes we have to let the ones we love go. This is a true definition of love, Orion."

_**Corin's chambers**_

Corin was holding the betrothal jewellery again. This time he was sitting inside his clam, lips parted, eyes welled up with unshed tears.

When sensing an unannounced presence the monarch swiftly glanced to his right, ready to spit out poison at the intruder.

He smiled wanly, setting the jewellery aside.

"She's gone," he croaked thickly, tears slowly spilling down his cheeks.

Cora put a sisterly arm around his shoulders, saying nothing.

"I can't hate her for going," he whispered forlornly. "I thought I was going to but-"

"Shh."

"I want my wife back," he choked out.

"I know brother. I know. We all want Ariel back."

Sitting together in silence, both brother and sister mourned over the loss of their Ariel.

_**The surface, outside the palace walls**_

Dressed in the clothes she had left by her rock pool, Ariel waddled intolerantly down the beach, wishing with all her heart that she could run.

She was so impatient! All she could think about was seeing her precious husband. Feeling his arms around her! His lips on her own.

God's, how she had missed him! It seemed as if they had been parted for an eternity rather then a few weeks.

"Eric!" she called, hurrying as fast as she could up the palace stairway. "Eric, I'm back! I'm back!"

"Princess? Is that you?"

Ariel stopped in her tracks, panting heavily.

"Grimsby!" she gasped, delighted. "I'm so glad I found you. Where's Eric?"

_**End of part 5**_

_**Authors note**_

Will Corin and Ariel see each other again? Will Ariel forgive Eric? Will their daughter be ok?

You'll just have to wait and see

If you liked this chappie, excellent! If not, that's fine.

Leah.


	6. Part 6

_**She dreams, part 6 **_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Ariel has returned to the surface to be with Eric.

_**Disclaimer**_

I do not own a single thing!

Rats!

Rated M for angst and scrummy sexual content. There is also a bit of Eric bashing, a pre warning if you are an Eric fan.

This part is very, very explicit; please do not read if you are under 15 or if strong sexual content offends you.

Written in Australian and UK grammar and spelling.

To all Richard Armitage fans, look out for "North and South" and "Between the sheets" references.

As usual, all flames and Sue grumbles will be ignored.

_**The surface, the palace stairway**_

"Eric is away on business, Princess," the advisor told her when over his surprise. "For a fortnight at least."

Ariel's face fell.

A fortnight.

"But come. Do let me escort you to the parlour," Grimsby offered speedily, noting her disquiet. "I'll have a lad ride to him with news of your return."

Ariel smiled gratefully. Linking her arm with Grim's, she willingly allowed the Englishman to escort her to the parlour.

_**The parlour**_

The princess blew on her hot tea before taking a tentative sip.

Gently putting the cup back on the saucer, Ariel gazed about her surroundings, a little surprised at the changes of room décor.

Replacing the royal blue, gold and cyan wallpaper she had chosen was a garish wallpaper of rich crimson and gold.

"I had it changed after you left us. I never fully warmed to your taste in wallpaper, my dear. My apologies."

Ariel looked over her shoulder to see the queen standing imposingly in the doorway studying her with wintry eyes, red mouth set in an emaciated, guarded line.

"Your majesty," the younger woman greeted, dipping into a reverential curtsey.

"Your dearth has been quite long," the queen said, still watching Ariel.

"Yes," the princess agreed timidly. "Yes, it was. I'm sorry for that. But I'm back now."

The queen nodded slowly.

"So it would seem," she murmured almost bitingly.

"I-"

"My dear, I have other matters that need my attendance," the dark haired woman interrupted coolly. "I fear I cannot linger, I must bid you good afternoon."

Ariel nodded to show that she understood.

"Thank you, your majesty. Good afternoon."

As the woman made her departure, Ariel felt a strong sense of foreboding in her belly.

What was going on?

Inside her womb, the baby was anxious. It rolled, stretched and pushed.

Perhaps the fetus was just as excited about the return of her father as she was.

"Shh," Ariel soothed, patting her abdomen. "It's alright. It's going to be alright."

_**The guest chambers**_

"Why can't I stay in our chambers?" Ariel asked Grimsby as he opened the chamber doors for her that evening.

"The queen's orders, Princess. It is Not for me question them. I'm afraid you will have to take the matter up with her tomorrow."

"Oh," she mumbled.

"Now," the advisor continued brightly. "Everything you need should be in here. Nancy shall be along soon enough to and draw your bath and so forth."

"Carlotta usually does that."

"For personal reasons Carlotta has taken a leave of absence," Grimsby informed, tone not as jovial as before.

"A leave of absence? But … I don't understand! Is she alright?"

"Oh yes, she is perfectly fine, nothing serious, I assure you."

Grim squared his shoulders. "I must bid you good evening, Princess. I daresay I shall see you in the morning."

It took Ariel a while to respond.

"Princess?"

"Thank you, Grimsby," she managed at last. "Good evening."

"Ere ye go, highness," Nancy said whilst helping Ariel into the bath. "An ere be the sweet meats ee be wantin too."

"Thank you," Ariel said softly.

"Would ee ave a fancy for anything else?"

She shook her head.

"Well, I'll be gettin yer dinner ready then. Send far me when ye be wantin out of the tubbie."

Ariel nodded.

"Thank you," she echoed.

After a meal consisting of roast honeyed swan, boiled vegetables and a goblet of watered down wine, Ariel rang for Nancy, telling her she was ready to retire.

"Has there been any word from Eric?" she asked whilst the servant braided her hair.

"Nay, highness. Mayhap the weathers provin too tricky for a messenger to get to im? Tis well nasty out there."

Ariel licked her lips.

"Maybe," she concurred.

Lying in the four-poster bed, Ariel stared up at the ceiling with one hand tucked under her head and the other on her stomach.

She was feeling quite somnolent thanks to the meal and bath, yet her mind was forever shifting between tranquillity and profound restlessness thus making uninterrupted sleep quite difficult for her to obtain.

Picking up on its dam's mood, the fetus began to act up, kicking and pushing against her mercilessly.

Grumbling irritably under her breath, Ariel rolled onto her left side, curling her toes and fingers.

"I need to you to stop that, little lady," she mumbled pleadingly. "I need to sleep. I can't make Eric grovel for forgiveness while I'm yawning, can I?"

The kicking stopped.

"Thank you," she murmured, relieved.

Clasping her hands over her bulbous belly, Ariel gave up on the idea of sleep tried to think.

Carlotta had left the palace for personal reasons. That did not make sense in the slightest. The woman loved palace life. She did not have anyone outside the kingdom and would never willingly leave Eric.

The queen's recent attitude toward her had bordered on hostile. In all her years of knowing Eric's mother Ariel had never known the woman to behave in such a fashion.

More and more disconcerting questions began to swirl about her head. The more she tried to answer them, the wearier she became.

Eyes drooping, Ariel unwillingly began to drift away till finally surrendering herself to slumber.

_**A dream**_

It was a frightfully searing summer's day. She wore a loose fitting white cheesecloth dress; her long hair billowed behind her like a shiny red ribbon as she walked along the beach toward the rock pools.

Finding a spot on the sand that wasn't too heated by the blazing sun, the young woman sat down, taking off her shoes, letting the brackish water cool her feet.

Lying back, she closed her eyes and the smells the earth and ocean emitted filled her nose before wafting into her mind.

"Hello there."

Her lips parted, her fingers curled into the dampened dirt.

"You might burn if you're not careful."

She lazily opened an eye, far too relaxed to feel disturbed.

"Whose dream is it?" she asked sleepily.

Like a snake, Corin lithely slid out from behind a boulder. Lying beside her, he propped himself on his shoulder, studying the young woman thoughtfully.

"Yours, mine … Does it really matter?" he asked.

She scrunched her fingers and toes in the sand, breathing in and out, too relaxed to leap up and run away.

He smirked.

"I didn't think so."

He was between her legs now, looming over her. Cool black silky locks brushed against her sun-reddened cheeks, palms rested on either side of her head.

She didn't try to fight him off. She stared back at him.

A sleek black tentacle glided up, stroking her forehead. His prey shivered pleasurably at the touch for it was so blissfully cold against her hot skin.

Another tentacle slid under her dress and thin silk shift.

The woman flicked her tongue across her lips. Her eyes darkened.

Tense, she waited.

"For once I am glad you are not pregnant, my dear," Corin remarked casually, the tip of the tentacle entering her belly button. "For I intend to do quite a few things to you. I don't think you'd feel comfortable with what I have in mind so great with child, do you, hmm?"

Mute, Ariel shook her head.

She had one eye on him and the other on the tentacle wallowing leisurely in the hole in her stomach, hiding beneath her dress and shift.

Her body was starting to tingle with arousal now but she had yet to become completely lost in his ministrations.

Two more of Corin's tentacles tore leisurely at her dress, tearing and tearing until it was naught but twin pieces of white cloth.

He tossed the material over his shoulder.

Suddenly, thick clouds blocked the sun hence darkening the sky.

"I think this is better," he murmured. "I can't have you boiling, can I?"

The tentacle cooling her forehead languidly slid away, pushing her soiled hair aside then returning to laze amongst its companions that resided behind their master.

"Much, much better," Corin added approvingly.

He then made a face of concentration.

"Where to begin?" he pondered out loud. "Where to begin?"

Her heart beat quickened.

He smiled.

"Now I know," he told her.

_**End of dream**_

Groggily, Ariel opened her eyes.

She looked to her left to see virgin sunlight leaking through her window.

"What in the world," she whispered staring at the light.

Lethargic, the young princess peeled back the covers and looked down, inspecting her body.

There was nothing to suggest ravishment and yet the stirring, lingering scent of sex and delicious wetness between her legs led her to believe something had occurred during her slumber.

'_He's back!'_ she thought excitedly.

There could be no other explanation! Eric was back! He had visited her whilst she had been sleeping and-

She frowned.

If Eric were indeed back … why wasn't he with her? If he were back, why would she dream about Corin and not him?

She gnawed at her lip ponderously.

Was she regretting leaving Corin for Eric? Did her heart now lie with him?

"I'm being stupid," she groaned at herself, wiping a vexed hand across her forehead. "There's nothing to regret."

Her place was beside Eric. She had made a vow to fight for their marriage and she would. She had told Corin and his family that she would.

The Ariel Corin had loved, who had loved him, was dead.

In the womb, her child suddenly kicked her hard.

Leaning forward, Ariel clenched her teeth and groaned in pain. Putting a hand to her stomach, she gingerly rose to her feet, making her way to her waiting chamber pot.

After a long piss, the princess bathed then dressed with the aid of Nancy.

"Breakin yer fast in yer chambers again, highness?" the girl asked vibrantly, finishing the braid and replacing the ivory comb back onto the polished wooden dressing table.

"Yes, but can you tell me if there has been any word from Eric yet?" Ariel asked, heaving herself out of the chair.

"Nay yer highness, I can't tell ee but I could find Grim … Mayhap, he'd know?"

The woman nodded wordlessly.

Thanking Nancy, Ariel wandered over to the window, staring out at the view before her.

"Ah … Highness?"

Ariel turned to the girl.

"Yes, Nancy?"

"Well, Highness … You remember Bill. The lad I'd be courtin?"

"Yes."

"Well he do say he as a fair likin for me an was opin for me and."

"You mean he wants to marry you?" Ariel asked curiously.

"Ais, Highness."

Ariel looked down at her wedding and engagement rings and smiled faintly.

"Do you love him, Nancy?" she asked the girl.

"Love yer Highness?"

"Yes."

The girl made a face.

"Not really, Highness. Taint somethin I'd be lookin for coz I can't afford it. Me mother ad position, nothin mighty grand, but she did ave position. She married me Dad and … Well, her family disowned her."

Ariel put a hand to her chest.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "But anyone can have love. You don't need to hide from it, Nancy."

The maid shook her head.

"Taint for the likes of me, Highness. See, I don't want to end up like me Mum. Miserable and preggers. Tis why I'm here tellin ee I won't be yer maid for much longer. Tis our weddin day next Tuesday arvo. I was opin you'd come but Grim do say you're not to leave the palace."

"I'll come," Ariel insisted. "I don't care if I have to have a dozen minders with me. I'll be there at your wedding, Nancy."

Grimsby arrived soon after Ariel had finished breaking her fast, greeting her with a flustered smile.

"Princess, as I have told you before, I will inform you as soon as I have received word. There is no need for anxiety. His absence cannot be helped."

"We had a fight, Grim," Ariel told the advisor jadedly. "It was horrible. I need to talk to Eric so we can fix this."

There was a strange light in Grimsby's eyes. Ariel felt the familiar sense of foreboding crawl up her back.

She gulped and willed it away.

Her baby kicked her hard.

"Gods!" she swore under her breath, "Stop kicking me, will you?"

"Your highness?"

"I'm fine," Ariel murmured staring astringently at her stomach. "I'm fine."

"I think perhaps you should take to your bed, yes?" Grimsby suggested gently. "We can't have you seeing Eric in meagre condition, can we?"

Ariel shook her head.

"I don't need to go to my bed I just need to sit down for a moment," she replied dismissively. "I'll be fine."

Grim nodded wordlessly.

"As you wish. But I must insist on sending for your midwife."

Ariel hesitated. The infection that had been considered dangerous had diminished into nothing and she also did not want her father to know where she was before she had confronted Eric.

She shook her head again.

"No, not yet, Grim. I need to speak with her majesty about my chambers first."

She picked up her skirt and made for the doorway.

"Alas, her majesty has left on business with the king, Princess," Grim told her hurriedly. "They will not be back till Eric has returned."

Ariel couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What?" she gasped.

Oh … this was too, too much.

"She wished me to tell you that you should remain in your appointed chambers and allow your midwife to examine you when deemed necessary," Grim divulged seriously. "I do deem it necessary, Princess Ariel, and will send for her promptly."

"Well everything seems to be in tip top shape, your highness," the midwife said looking up from Ariel's parted legs. "I can't see any sign of the contamination you spoke of. Must have been a yeast infection that went away on its own."

Ariel offered the middle-aged woman a half-hearted smile.

"Will you be going back under to visit your other midwife?"

"After Eric gets back," Ariel replied candidly. "We have things to talk about. I want to wait for him."

The midwife looked at her strangely.

"I see," she murmured.

"May I … Nancy has asked me to go to her wedding. I told her I would go."

The midwife frowned.

"Highness, the queen has requested that you'd remain in your chambers. I'm afraid you'll have to decline the invitation. I'm sure Nancy will understand, she's a smart girl."

"But I-"

"Highness, think about the child. How would you feel if you had another stillbirth? You complained of an infection, what if it should come back? Nay, Highness, you're not to leave your quarters until the queen says you can."

Ariel miserably slumped against her pillows.

As the woman packed her things, she fought the urge to tell her charge that she thought she was a complete and utter twit for wanting to take back a cheating husband even if he was a prince.

"Where's her bloomin self respect? She's too good for the likes of him," the midwife muttered under her breath whilst closing the door behind her.

"Still," she added grimly. "Not my place to tell her that."

In her boudoir, Ariel rested on her side, staring sightlessly at a nearby flickering candle.

Her in law's abrupt leaving taking was a new quandary that bothered her to no end.

Why had the king and queen decided to suddenly depart on the day after her arrival?

It didn't make sense.

Not in the slightest.

"Something's wrong," she murmured to no one in particular. "I don't understand this."

Feeling too ill at ease, she rang the bell for Nancy then opened her coffer.

The girl arrived shortly, smiling at Ariel before giving the princess a pretty curtsey.

"What can I do for ee, Highness?" the girl asked.

"I'm afraid I can't come to your wedding, Nancy," Ariel told her sadly. "But," she held out a plump money purse and a jewel box. "I want you to have these. The money is for you and your mother. The jewel box is for you."

The girl blushed with pleasure and surprise.

"Oh my …" she gasped, a slim hand on her shapely bosom. "Oh Jesu! Thank ye, Highness and God bless ee! Tis more then I deserve! Thank ee! Ye be so kind, I shan't forget ee! Thank ee so much!"

_**Eric's cabin**_

The prince took the scroll from the ships captain.

Breaking the seal, he began to read.

"Eric?" the weather beaten man asked, frowning at the prince.

"My wife has returned and wants to see me," Eric murmured, long fingers curling around the parchment. "And my mother and father are coming here to make sure I make the right decision about our marriage."

"That be a good thing innit?" the captain asked. "Princess Ariel's a right lovely girl."

Eric licked his lips.

"We'll see," he answered stoically, looking down at Grim's flourishing penmanship. "We'll see."

The captain's brow furrowed.

"Eric?"

"Get a cabin prepared for my parents," the young man muttered sagely. "They'll be here tomorrow, noon."

"Yes, Eric. I'll … get to it."

_**The palace, Ariel's chambers**_

She was tired. She couldn't think anymore. She had to sleep.

Eyes drooping little by little, the princess moaned then succumbed, losing herself to the black abyss.

_**Back to the dream.**_

The glorious Cecaelian dragged his tongue along her neck then downwards till he came to the bodice of her shift. Using the tentacle that had been residing inside her belly button, Corin ripped the shift apart, revealing nearly all of Ariel's body to him.

The ruined cloth had fallen, pooling around the youthful woman's shapely hips, covering her luscious arse and the deliciously furtive place in front of it.

Corin's breath, hot as the sun, hardened Ariel's left nipple till it was no longer wrinkled rosy, yielding flesh but akin to a cracked minute rock.

The sensation of changing membrane and soft tissue caused the young woman to arch and writhe on the sand. Her lips peeled apart but before she could utter a single noise, her lover's mouth covered the tit.

A thin, kittenish whine leapt out of her throat. Arousal compelling, Ariel squirmed restlessly beneath her seducer, heels digging feverishly into the damp earth.

A tentacle gracefully curled around her leg, slithering up, it tugged firmly at the material and then tore it away. Had the princess not been so distracted by the attentions her lover was paying to her bouncing breasts she would have blushed with embarrassment and yelled at him for ridding her of her precious covering.

Another tentacle wound snugly around her emaciated waist, lowering its tip to rest upon the dark hair amid her legs.

Ariel groaned through clenched white teeth, sinking her nails into the skin of his back, thrusting her hips eagerly against his black lower half.

Releasing the nipple, Corin planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Not yet," he denied playfully. "Wait for me."

Corin shifted his head back to suck and bite at her nipples, always being careful not to cut her skin with his teeth.

The princess thrust her head back whilst the black limb moved languidly into her, rubbing gently at her core, eliciting a consistent string of soft, deep moans of gratification.

"Good girl, good girl," Corin praised huskily.

He hugged her to him, taking her earlobe into his mouth, suckling lavishly upon the flesh.

The limb slid through her entrance filling her completely. Caught off guard, Ariel gave a strident shriek of surprise and pain. Her lissom body lurched forward then fell back against the humid earth and Corin's hands.

He was so thick; it was amazing she was able to accommodate him at all.

Agonised, she clenched her teeth, straining as she tightened around him.

Seeing she was having trouble, Corin let go of her ear.

"Easy," he soothed. "Easy."

He pulled her upward until she was pressed snugly against his chest and belly. With lean, warm hands, he rubbed her back, murmuring gentle nothings as she acquainted herself with his largeness.

When it was manageable for her, the male Cecaelian kissed her flushing cheek again then began to stroke his black appendage in and out of her excruciatingly stretched and quivering fanny.

Sobbing into his shoulder, Ariel feebly struggled to match his rhythm.

"Easy," her lover repeated. "Don't stress. Take your time. Just take your time."

She tried repeatedly until at last giving up and sagging backwards, chest rising and falling with each shuddering breath she took.

After a leisurely massage, Corin carefully withdrew the tentacle.

The bloody haired angel whimpered from his exit, burying her face in his neck and shoulder.

The Cecaelian tugged her closer, letting her recuperate, kissing her neckline and shoulder.

Lowering her back down to the earth, Corin settled on top of her, hugging her possessively to his broad body.

She moaned softly, accustoming her smaller frame to his weight then slid her arms and legs around his waist, holding him for all she was worth.

"Good girl," Corin praised again.

He kissed her soundly on the mouth eliciting another soft little moan from her then kissed her yet again, applying more pressure this time with his tongue and lips.

The woman responded eagerly, swirling her pink muscle with his own, following him in a dance.

Her neither region grew unbearably hot and hammering.

She pushed against him.

"Please," she rasped into his ear as he kissed along her neck. "Please, please, please."

He pulled away from the succulent valley of skin and hugged her so closely she thought he was going to pull her inside of him.

"Now you're ready for the real thing," Corin declared throatily.

He pushed his black manhood into her depths.

Ariel hissed through her teeth upon his entry, her body arching again.

"Shh, shh."

Thankfully, he did not stretch her nearly as much as his tentacle had done consequently making the experience much more to the young woman's liking.

The princess panted profusely as the most exquisitely wanton pulsations grew in her lower body, gradually taking dominance of her mind, heart and soul.

He began to push inside her. Nice, even, movements. In response to this blissful torment, Ariel eagerly rocked her hips forward, urging him on.

"Do you like this, sweeting?" her lover asked roughly. "Is this what you need?"

She mewled her rejoinder thus making him laugh into her hair and push harder.

When their cries from their final climax faded into heavy breathing, Corin gently slid his exhausted, flaccid manhood out of Ariel. Sitting up, he leaned against an ochre boulder and cradled her in his arms as if she were a child. His soft lips pressed lovingly against her heavily perspiring forehead whilst his gentle hands combed through the tangled red tresses as she shuddered and fought to catch her breath.

"You're coming home with me," he told her huskily.

Content at last, her eyes closed. The princess smiled sleepily, nuzzling her small nose into his silky chest.

"Yes," she whispered hoarsely. "I'm coming home with you."

He kissed her head again, a little fiercely this time.

"Do you love me?" he demanded hoarsely.

She opened her eyes.

"I-"

_**End of dream**_

Ariel shot upright in her bed, pulse racing, perspiration all over her body, the place between her legs aching, hammering, and very damp.

When her breathing had, at last, died down, the princess heaved herself out of the copious bed, violently swept the canopy to one side and marched over to the window.

Standing on her balcony, Ariel breathed in and out, closing her eyes and delighting in the nippy night time air and mellow glow of the moon.

Slowly, Ariel opened her eyes.

'_I want him,'_ she thought. _'I want to be with him. That's why I was dreaming. I'm full of repressed regret …"_

She gnawed on her lip.

'_He made me burn. Eric never made me burn. He made me … safe. Safe and warm.'_

She looked up at the moon. Glaring up at it defiantly.

'_I've made my choice. It's final. I want Corin. I want to be with Corin but I still love Eric. My heart lies with Eric. I can't go back. I can't ever go back,"_

Eric would be here soon. That was the only reason why she was dreaming about Corin, it had to be. She was losing her nerve and imagining Corin as the better choice.

An even cooler wind swept over her, picking up the tresses that had escaped her braid.

It would not be long before Eric returned to the kingdom. When he was back, Ariel decided that they would talk about the problem like two rational adults and then forget that the whole thing ever happened.

'_And I will never see Corin again,'_

Her heart ached.

'_I'll never see Corin again,'_

"Do I really want to let him go?" she asked herself. "Maybe I _am_ making the wrong choice by staying here."

The princess held out her hand, watching the soft moon glow illuminate the membrane then dropped it, staring out at the star-studded atmosphere.

"Come for me," she whispered. "I'm calling for you, Corin. Come for me."

_**End of part 6**_

_**Authors note**_

What's going to happen? Will Corin come to Ariel? Are Ursula and Morgana still alive? Has Eric remarried already?

Find out in the next chapter which will be longer and there will be more Eric in it.

Sorry for taking so long, I've just relocated to a beachier part of Australia and haven't been able to log onto the net for ages!

To Richard Armitage fans. Hope you enjoyed the dream shag scenes and the "Between the sheets" and "North & South" references.

I wanted to make Nancy sound as if she had stepped out of a "Poldark" novel, here is a bit of glossary in case you had trouble understanding her.

"Ee or Ye" –You.

Tubbie-a bath tub

Yer-You are

Arvo-Afternoon

Opin-Hoping

And-Hand.

Jesu-Jesus

An-And

Taint-This is not

Ave-Have

Ere-here

_**Review replies**_

Imagined-Thank you very much for the detailed review. I am glad you like this story and that you like my original characters.

I tried to PM you to reply to your review, but your profile states that you do not accept PM's. Perhaps you could email me?

About the things you wrote about. I use "Unctuous, a lot, believe me, I know, lol. Its one of my favourite words. I'll try to remember not to over use it next time.

Other things such as the "Sesi-I can't remember how to spell that word or what it means and the incorrect use of the " 's " have been noted and I will try to remember your advice about them when I'm proof reading the following chappies.

I'm glad you liked the sex scene in the rock pool. That was fun to write. Maybe you'll like Ariel's shag dreams too?

shobsnet02-Again you make me laugh with your reviews and pm's. I'm sorry Eric annoys you so much. He's going to be around for a while I'm afraid. I'm also really, really sorry I was so tardy getting this chappie up.

vAMPkIMI-Glad you enjoyed it. I am really having writing this fic. More is coming, at a snails pace, but it is coming.

Thank you for reading Leah.

PS, is still giving me single line breaks grief. When I am permitted, I'll do an edit and reupload the chapters. Till then, please bare with me.


	7. Part 7

_**She dreams, part 7**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Ariel wants to be with Corin. Will she leave Eric for good and return to the ocean?

_**Disclaimer**_

Rated M for angst, graphic medical references, sexual content and so on.

Contains references to abortion.

Dedicated to chocolate, cocktails and Shetland ponies.

_**Ariel's chambers**_

Ariel stopped dead in her tracks.

"How did you … ?"

He was standing in her doorway. As a human he was beautiful beyond comprehension. Gleaming blue-black hair travelled past his shoulders, waving slightly in the cool night air. Black leather breeches hugged his lengthy slender legs. A loose-fitting black silk shirt billowed open, displaying his smooth, pale chest and lean stomach.

"You're not a dream this time are you?" Ariel guessed.

He said nothing.

She closed her eyes, pinching the skin on her wrist.

'_Ow,'_

"You called for me," he reminded her in an as a matter of fact tone.

The princess opened her eyes.

"I did," she concurred timidly. "I just didn't realise you could get here so quickly." She wetted her arid lips with her tongue and swallowed densely.

"I don't think I belong here," she admitted disconsolately. "I don't think …" she gave him a helpless look. "I don't know where to go."

"Take off your shift," he told her in a voice as soft as a raven's wing.

Her body grew warm.

Sensing the faintest flicker of arousal on her part, Corin's eyes darkened.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" Ariel asked curiously.

"Take off your shift."

At a snail's pace, Ariel reached for the edge of her night shift and pulled.

The silver grey garment fell lightly to the floor, landing in a puddle between them.

A sudden gush of cool night air caressed her naked skin.

"Satisfied?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

Instead of covering herself, the princess kept her hands at her sides, letting him see every inch of her.

Corin's stormy eyes glistened appreciatively as he appraised her naked body. Languidly, they roamed from her face, lingering when they came to her full, round breasts and then travelled leisurely down to her legs, her toes, then unhurriedly back up again.

"Unbind your hair."

She raised her hands, releasing her ruby mane from its lax braid, letting it descend about her like a drape.

He nodded his approval.

"Lie down."

Unquestioningly, she wandered over to the divan. Lying in the centre of the four-poster, Ariel took a deep breath and closed her eyes, waiting for the first convergence of hide and lips.

The queer, beautiful heartbeat between her legs made her body quiver with anticipation. She looked momentarily at her arm, noting how the hairs were rising as well as thousands upon thousands of goose bumps.

"Roll onto your side."

Bamboozled, she frowned.

"Why?"

"I don't want to crush the baby. Roll onto your side."

Huffing, Ariel decided to be agreeable.

His arms slid around her waist, being mindful of her swollen belly. His stubbled cheek scratched her skin.

"Did you miss me?" he asked huskily, nuzzling her neck.

She smiled faintly.

He didn't have to seduce her; he knew she was already his. But it would be fun to let him play with her.

"I did," she replied in a low murmur, covering one of his large hands with her own

He nipped her bare shoulder playfully.

"I am never letting you go again."

Impatient, she grinded her buttocks against his groin.

"Please," she whispered. "I'm ready."

He chuckled softly into her hair.

"Steady, madam. We have all night."

Cheek pressed against her plump, white pillow, Ariel panted violently as Corin surged into her. Her shaking hands clutched and tore at the sheets. She strained against him, tightened around him. She burned, she soared, she screamed and screamed and screamed.

Growling low in his throat, Corin sunk his fingers into her full breasts and dived into her depths again, hence pushing the woman toward an edge then over it.

Their climax shattered her into tiny pieces.

Gulping precious, sweet oxygen, Ariel sagged into the mattress like a rag doll.

Rolling her onto her back, Corin hovered over her, lavishing kisses upon her trembling décolletage and face.

"That's it," he whispered. "Just breathe. Just breathe."

She moaned weakly.

He kissed her hair, tasting the sweat that lingered there. His lips then travelled to her ear and he tugged on it gently with his teeth.

"You're coming home with me," he told her softly.

Her breathing stilled.

Awkwardly, Ariel shifted in his arms so that she could see him properly without putting a strain on her neck.

"There's something we need to do first," she told her lover.

"You want to go again?" he asked amusedly.

"No," she almost laughed. "No, I don't need to go again … I …" She stopped.

His fingers sifted through her hair, pushing it out of her eyes.

"Tell me."

She blinked a few times; debating on what words would be the best to use.

Eventually she pulled herself upward in order to lean her heavy body against what remained of her mountain of pillows.

Corin seemed on edge.

"What is it?" he asked cautiously, watching her every move.

'_I'd better put him out of his misery,'_ she decided sucking air through her nostrils, smelling their fragrant aftermath.

"Eric needs a son," she told Corin mellifluously.

"Ariel-"

"I have to give him a son!" she insisted, her manner fervent. "I owe him a son! Just take her out of me and change her into a boy. I'll go anywhere with you after that."

Corin scowled at her, his Adonis features marred by his discontentment.

"Corin!"

"You are being irrational," he told her heatedly. "You can't possibly expect me to separate you."

"I am not being irrational this is what I want."

He snorted.

"Of all the things you could have asked of me," he growled at her.

Ariel shrugged.

"I don't see the difficulty," she told him outspokenly. "It's not as if she is your child, Corin."

"She is _your_ child!" Corin cried staring at her as if she had misplaced her own mind. "She is the child you have fought for. I can't take her away from you. It would destroy you."

Ariel's lips trembled. She sniffed.

"Then you don't love me at all," she accused mellifluously. "If you did you would help me, Corin."

Corin glowered at her.

"Emotional blackmail doesn't work on me," he snarled. "You know I want you, you know that I love you, don't be a fool!"

"I am asking you to do one thing for me!" Ariel cried avidly. "Just one little thing! How can this be so hard?"

"Because I know what will happen," he insisted fiercely. "You'll be fine for a moment and then you'll destroy yourself!"

"Since when were you a fortune teller?" she hissed snidely.

Disgusted, Corin rose from the bed, striding for the doorway.

"Wait!"

He spun around.

"Why?" he demanded. "So you can use me to provoke your labour?"

Ariel flinched.

"I didn't-''

"But it's what you wanted, isn't it? Stop lying Ariel, I can read you like a bloody book!"

"You chose to believe the lie," she insisted quietly.

"I did," he agreed brusquely. "Had I realised your genuine intentions much sooner, I would never come to you."

"I am trying to make Eric happy," the princess choked out wretchedly. "He deserves to be happy!"

"So do you!"

"Corin!"

"What about his bride?" he thundered at her. "Did you even think about her? He could be betrothed or married by the time he returns!"

"He could also love me enough to take me back," Ariel replied stubbornly.

The rage melted away from Corin's face replacing it was out-and-out antipathy.

'_Stand your ground,_' Ariel thought. _'Don't let him win,'_

"You are a needy little fool," he told her harshly.

Ariel tilted her chin defiantly.

"I don't care," she murmured. "I love him. I _need_ him. He is the love of my life!"

Corin sighed.

'And I am your soul mate,' he thought.

"Then this really is goodbye," he muttered.

Alone and ashamed, Ariel curled into a fetal pose and wept.

_**The Cecaelian realm, the presence chamber**_

"Cora," the monarch greeted lazily. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering how you were?" his sibling said simply. "It's been awhile since we last spoke, Corin."

Corin sat straighter in his throne.

"No, you weren't thinking about my welfare, little sister," he accused stiffly. "Out with it."

Cora glared at him.

"Out with what?" she demanded, hands on ebony hips. "I don't know what you are implying."

"Don't play the dummy, Cora, it doesn't suit you at all," Corin warned dangerously. "Either spit it out or leave me be."

"Fine! Fine, I shall. I shall spit it out! I have been waiting for almost a week for a decision about the sister's fate. I'm quite done with waiting, brother. What's it to be?"

"Have they done anything wrong?" Corin asked.

"No, but-"

"Cora, we are a peaceful race," Corin reminded her. "We do not destroy our own kind unless the need to do so is absolute! Leave them alone!"

Cora stared aghast at her brother.

"Have you formed an attachment to her?"

Corin smacked a hand to his forehead and groaned.

"For the love of-No, Cora, I have formed an attachment with anyone!"

"Ho, hum, Corin! You know, you really do not surprise me. The moment Ariel is gone you start making eyes at Ursula!" She gave him a disgusted look. "Don't think we haven't noticed. It is all very predictable."

"I am not interested in Ursula!" Corin ground out defensively. "We all know she will never make a good queen. We all know that when she has real power she has not the ability or the will to control it!"

"Well if you know that why aren't you doing something about it?" Cora demanded. "It seems to me you enjoy being simpered and lusted over by the trollop! It's just as it was in the past except you have not allowed her to see or sense your interest. Pretty soon I warrant you will and you'll both be hot for each other and then she'll be crowing to anyone who will listen that you've got her stuck up again!"

"Will you stop rebuking me?" Corin cried. "I made a mistake! One mistake! But there was no harm done! There was no child and Ariel was not cheated on!"

"But that's not wholly true, is it? You are not wholly innocent and you know it! There was harm done the moment you contacted the sisters! You favoured Ursula. You wanted to bed her from day one. We all know you did. Yes, I do believe that you were drunk on grief, but I also believe that there was a small part of you that craved her."

"What of it?" Corin shot back. "Maybe I did! Maybe I am sick and tired of being left behind! Maybe I like being noticed for being more then a ruler whose wife died then left him because she was too scared to stay!"

"You are being intemperate!"

"Do I look like I give a damn?" Corin roared. "I am so tired of it all! So very fucking exhausted! And a little consideration for my needs and some understanding on your part would be welcomed by my own!"

When his conniption was over, the man raked his hand through his hair then punched at the onyx throne.

"Goddess!" he swore through gritted teeth.

Cora waited patiently for her brother to cool down, looking on with a distant, mildly bored countenance.

"Are you quite finished?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

Her brother said nothing.

"Corin. She will never see what Ariel saw," the empress whispered. "She only sees power. She will never love you. You are not her. You need to be loved. She could never do that and you know she can't."

"So I am just meant to remain celibate?" Corin sneered mockingly.

Cora rolled her eyes.

The idiot.

"No, of course not!" she snapped at him. "Find another mate. There are plenty of other women in this realm aside from Ursula."

Corin slumped his shoulders.

Sighing heavily, Cora floated over to sit beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Sorja and I left our own homes to be with you," she whispered covering his injured hand with her own. "We uprooted everything because both of us knew that you could not function with Ariel no longer by your side. We've found Ariel, now we have to get on with things. You, have to get on with things."

It was Corin's turn to sigh.

"I didn't want to let her go," he confided softly. "Then I thought maybe, just maybe she could be happy and safe. Maybe he will give up the new bride and take her back and love the child just as much as she does."

Cora lightly patted his hand.

"Maybe," she agreed. "Only time will tell."

Corin licked his lips.

"I want to be alone," he said wearily. "Please."

Cora nodded.

"Yes," she answered. "But I want you to think about the witches."

He nodded.

"I'll do it," he told her, staring sightlessly straight ahead. "I do owe you."

_**Corin's private chambers**_

Corin stared at the glistening necklace that he held in his hands.

"Perhaps I should have given you what you wanted," he muttered sourly.

Had he done so, she would still be here.

"So the little mer brat rejected you? You'll still have me."

Corin replaced the necklace and frowned.

"What do you want now, Ursula?" he asked coldly.

There was a low giggle accompanied by a faint whooshing sound.

Within moments, Ursula was by his side and no longer an obese crone. She was exquisite. Her mane of wavy black hair with lavender hue tumbled over her back and shoulders. Her full red mouth curled into the smuggest of smirks.

"I'm baaaack, darling," she purred, predatory eyes sparkling like precious stones.

"So I see," Corin muttered barely looking at her.

"Shall we pick up where we left off?" the witch asked flirtatiously. "I'm game!"

Corin shook his head.

"I'm not," he replied tersely.

He moved to leave but was lassoed around the waist by one of Ursula's many tentacles.

"Not so fast, my dear," the sea witch cooed whilst reeling him toward her. "You rewarded me, I think it's time I rewarded you. If my memory's correct … I think we could have done something like-"

Corin stiffened with anger.

"I lost myself in you once, witch!" he spat acidly, twisting around to face her. "If you think I am so tormented that I need to slake my yearning for my wife on you again you are very much mistaken!"

Ursula's tentacle fell away.

"Corin, I love you," she whispered, shaken by his outburst. "I was only-"

"No, you covet me!" he snarled resentfully. "The same way you coveted Triton. The same way you covet power. That is not love."

"I can't help it," the woman croaked, tears falling down her cheeks. "I really can't. You've been so good to me and my sister. You kept us alive after the princess left. I want to repay you. I want to make you feel better."

"I thank you for the offering," Corin told Ursula lightly, his anger departing, "but please, leave me be."

Still reeling from his denunciation, the Cecaelia's full mouth curled into a faint-hearted smile.

"Of course," she murmured. "Good night, Corin."

_**The surface, the palace parlour room**_

The handsome young prince entered the room on a grey, windy afternoon. He came to a halt then stared what stood before him.

Ariel waited anxiously in the centre of the room.

Anxiety soon turned to confusion.

This was not how it was supposed to be, she thought fiddling nervously with her skirt. Why wasn't she running into his arms? Why wasn't he running into her arms? What was holding them back? What was wrong? Why wasn't Eric on his knees begging her to accept his apology, promising her that he would protect and love their daughter no matter what?

What was going on?

"Ariel … You're back," Eric said at last, tone incongruously strained and mildly surprised.

"Yes," she replied fingers fiddling with the pleated skirt of her dress.

"How … I mean … I thought that-"

"I made a decision," she told him, gently cutting in. "I've decided that no matter what, we can face this situation together. Eric, I'm your wife, you are my husband. We can't let these kinds of obstacles tear us apart."

Eric stared at her for an extensive time then raked a hand through his thick dark hair before walking over to a window in order to stare blindly at the goings on outside and below.

"Eric?"

"We can't go back, Ariel. No matter how happy we were," he told her austerely. "I've made a decision too."

Trepidation stabbed its way into Ariel's thudding heart.

"Eric," she whispered. "Y-you … I don't understand what you're talking about."

"I've been courting the Lady Genevieve," the young prince revealed. "I'm going to ask for her hand next week."

"No!" Ariel shouted. "Eric, you can't-you can't just pass me over when things get too hard! We have to work this out!"

"Things _have_ been too hard for too long, Ariel!" Eric told her resolutely. "There is only so much pressure I can take! That this kingdom can take! Marrying Genevieve is the right thing to do!"

"No, the right thing to do is to stay with me!" Ariel shouted smacking her hand against the pillar. "Eric, I know you have faults. I forgive you for those. I forgive you for everything. Can't we just forget about this and move on?"

He shook his head.

Ariel felt her heart sink.

"You won't even try?" she asked, voice cracking. "Oh God's, Eric … What has happened to you?"

He said nothing.

"Speak to me!" The princess yelled at him. "Or are you just a simple coward?"

Slumping his shoulders, Eric nodded.

She was right. He was behaving like a coward.

He had better say something.

"Alright," he conceded grimly.

"The witches came to me separately," Eric told Ariel, standing behind the plush pink chaise lounge. "They promised me a new bride, one that could give my country everything it needed in exchange for you."

"They told me that," Ariel revealed, nodding in earnest. "Eric, it doesn't matter-"

"At first I resisted the proposal then I took a look outside the palace. I saw how unhappy my people were with my family and me. I realised that I needed to give you up." He looked at her, his beautiful face riddled with pain. "Ariel, they _hated_ you. The fishermen … They blamed you for their loss of work. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing! I couldn't handle knowing that they couldn't love you!"

"Eric, if eating fish is all it takes to fix things then I'll do it," Ariel stated. "I don't care as long as you're happy, you know that!"

"Ariel, I don't want you any more!" Eric shouted. "I am happy now! Everything … Everything's changed since you left. It's better. We're all happier now."

"You can't mean that," Ariel croaked, shaking her head. "Eric, please … this is-It's a spell. You are under a spell!"

"I'm not," the royal told her ardently. "Ariel, this is what I want. When I lay with Ursula and her sister-"

"What?" Ariel squeaked, her eyes bulbous and near bulging out of their sockets.

"I was with them. No magic was involved, I promise!"

"You-you were lying with them!" the woman spluttered. "You let them-They ravished you? Oh God's, you had to have been under a spell, Eric!"

"I wasn't," Eric protested. "Ariel, I enjoyed it. I wanted them and they were only too happy to oblige. They made me feel something I never felt with you. It was different. I really did enjoy it."

Ariel felt as if he had reached out and slapped her face.

Every single word he uttered stung.

"So you would be with a pair of witches then be with me?" she seethed, fingers curling into her palms.

Eric said nothing.

Ariel began to tremble with rage. Her body grew hot with fire as she considered ripping his throat out with her bare hands.

"Ariel …"

She flinched at the sound of his voice. Her lips twitched.

"Ariel, please … Despite everything …. God, I still love you! I will always love you. But not love to enough to fight for you. Not this kind of battle. I'm tired of fighting. I don't want to do it any more."

She bowed her head and the rage inside her cooled down and made a gradual departure.

Now all she felt was the dull, familiar sting of defeat.

'_I really am a poor unfortunate soul,_' the princess thought, heart splintering little by little.

"This is goodbye," Eric said with finality, tearing her from her thoughts.

The princess raised her head to look at him, dragging her tongue across her lips.

"Yes," she agreed meekly. "It really is."

She moved to leave but the prince reached for her, holding her back.

"I am so sorry," he choked out, fingers digging into her arms. "I wish …"

"There's no point," Ariel said wearily, looking up at him. "I lost you. At least I know you're happy and can't disappoint your people anymore."

"Ariel," Eric groaned despairingly.

He pulled her closer and crushed his lips against hers.

The kiss lingered for a while then the now former husband and wife drew apart.

"Say goodbye to Max for me," the woman managed to whisper.

And then she was gone.

Ariel stumbled clumsily along the castle hallway, her heart breaking with each step.

"My dear?"

'_Please go away,'_

Taking a deep breath, the miserable woman slowly turned to face the queen.

"Your majesty," she greeted, giving a graceless curtsey.

"I shan't lie to you. The entire palace heard your screaming match," the older woman stated calmly.

Ariel licked her lips.

"Eric has found another wife, I have every right to be angry," she told her former mother in law defensively.

"The lady Genevieve? Yes … She is quite the beauty."

The queen handed Ariel a small square object. Despite the princesses' reluctance, she could not deny her curiosity and took the item.

It was a portrait of a young girl with golden blond hair, tawny eyes, a striking round face accompanied by a lush ruby mouth.

"How old is she?" Ariel asked weakly.

"Fifteen, nearly sixteen. Younger then you when you married my son. You were what, one and twenty when he took you as his bride?"

"Sixteen," Ariel corrected grimly.

The queen took the portrait from her, lips tightly pursed.

"You should have never married into this family," she told the princess coldly.

"Why?" Ariel demanded angrily, losing her earlier meekness. "Why are you so against me?"

The older woman sighed.

"I am going to give you some advice," she told the princess sternly. "Listen well, young woman because you will thank me in time."

Ariel glowered at her but the monarch ignored her.

"When I was twelve years of age I was married to the king. My only task in the union was to give him a healthy male heir." She paused, giving Ariel a hard look. "Have you any notion of what it is like to have your own husband look down on you with such betrayal and contempt in his eyes? All because you could not give him the one thing he needed the most?"

Ariel said nothing.

"Year after year I tried. I did everything I could think of. Eventually I won. I was twenty-nine years old but I had won. I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, my Eric."

She smiled. It was a smile of a survivor. A smile of triumph.

Ariel was almost in awe of her.

"H-how?" she asked. "Is the king-"

"Grimsby," the queen intercepted swiftly. "He took pity on me and bedded me the day after my husband. Eight months later Eric was born."

"Does the king know?" she asked timidly.

"Of course not!" the woman spat, staring aghast at Ariel. "Lives would be torn apart if he were to find out!"

Ariel bowed her head.

"I'm sorry," she apologised gently. "I won't speak of this to anyone. You have my word."

The queen nodded. She took a breath and spoke again.

"A son is the greatest prize a woman can have," she told Ariel. "We can boast about our grand pedigree and our husbands, but in the end it means nothing if you cannot whelp a living male."

The queen then reached out, taking her former daughter in law's small hand in her own.

"My dear," she whispered to the younger woman gently, pleadingly. "Do not think of me as your enemy. I do genuinely care for you. I will not see you go through what I did for it is horrible, it truly is. I strongly urge you go back to your own people. Be happy. Be safe. This is not a place for one such as you, not anymore."

Lowering her head, she left the princess alone.

_**The beach, near the rock pool**_

Sobbing brokenly, Ariel ran down the beach as fast as she could, wishing this had all been a bad, bad dream.

When she reached her enchanted rock pool, she tottered then fell heavily to her knees.

"He doesn't want me! He doesn't want me! He doesn't want me!" she moaned into her hands. "Oh Gods! He doesn't want me!"

She curled into a tighter ball, weeping until her eyes and mouth smarted quite considerably.

It was nearly sunset when the sobs ebbed and died. Sniffing, Ariel pulled herself to her feet, removed her dress, rings and slippers, not bothering to hide them.

'_He can give them to his new bride,'_ she thought bitterly.

_**The Cecaelian realm, the war room**_

"They're coming for her!" Sorja called from over his shoulder.

"Who?" Corin asked warily, sliding beside his brother.

"Triton's guards. Looks like he's been watching the surface just in case she ever turned up on Eric's doorstep."

Turning back to the giant, spherical crystal table, Sorja pointed to the image of Triton's elite guard swimming in the direction of the surface

Corin cursed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm going over there," he said at last.

"Corin!"

"You know what they'll do," the monarch argued angrily. "You know there's a chance she might never see her child again! That the mer people may disown her because of us!"

"And there's a chance she and the baby will be safe and happy," Sorja pointed out. "Why drag her away from all that? Who knows? Maybe she's sorted things out with Eric and is returning to her father to tell him it's alright."

Corin rolled his eyes.

"That's rubbish!" he growled at his sibling. "Eric won't take her back. He's terrified of a fucking revolt! And we've already been given word that he's met with our bride and wants to marry her!"

Turning away from Sorja, Corin bristled with frustration.

Had Sorja known that Ariel had called for him last night and was willing to return he would have been singing an entirely different tune altogether.

"Not so long ago you had a crack at me for letting her return to her husband, little brother," Corin continued intemperately. "What's changed your mind?"

The Cecaelian emperor folded his arms across his chest.

"I don't want either of you to get hurt," he answered. "It's that simple. I'm not picking sides anymore. I just want you both to be safe and happy."

"It's too late for that now," Corin snapped, mind made up. "I'm bringing her home."

"Goddess, you idiot!" Sorja muttered irately under his breath. "She could be happy!"

"Shellsa!" Corin roared over his shoulder. "Where are ya?"

_**Near Triton's palace**_

He was too late. Already four of Tritons elite guards were efficiently escorting Ariel in the direction of her father's palace. The look on the princess's face as she was pressed onwards was a mixture of relief and anxiety.

"Damn!" Corin seethed.

His only option was to kill Triton's guards. The task would be an acrimonious and messy one but he was fairly sure he could sever the heads and have Ariel back in the sanctuary of his own palace without Triton seeing too much.

The Cecaelian braced himself. His body tensed, he felt his tentacles tremble as they prepared for the kill.

"_First I'll take out the first two guards,"_ he decided mentally. _"That should be easy if I'm fast. Then I'll grab her and-"_

She would not thank him.

She would hate him.

She would call it a mindless slaughter.

Those people had loved ones and children. They had not harmed her.

What right had he to inflict death upon them?

Frustrated, Corin's lips peeled back and a roar of rage ripped its way from his gullet.

Whilst being hurried onward by her father's guards, Ariel heard a faint noise.

"Wait!" she ordered.

She paused, listening.

Corin?

She waited.

'_Come out, come out where ever you are,'_

"Princess?"

Nothing.

"Princess, your father, he's waiting for us."

Ariel sighed.

Obviously not Corin.

"Let's go," she muttered angrily.

"Princess."

The Cecaelian relaxed his body and turned away from the mer people then hesitated, looking at Ariel from over his shoulder.

"You might still call for us," he murmured, eyes lingering on the young woman as she was ushered out of sight.

_**Cecaelian realm, presence chamber**_

"Where is she?" Cora asked, gliding toward her brother. "I thought you were bringing her back? Why did you tell us that you had abandoned the plan, Corin? "

"By her I think it fair to assume you are talking about Ariel?" Corin asked.

"No, I meant the forgotten sister! Of course I'm asking about Ariel!"

"Triton's people got to her before I could," Corin explained to the empress. "From what I could tell, she was willing to go with them."

"Perhaps being with the mer people is the best thing for her," his sister said, trying to be reasonable.

Corin licked his lips pensively.

"I will be in my chambers," he murmured. "I am not to be disturbed."

"Of course," his sister replied lightly. "I'll tell the others to leave you alone."

"Thank you, sister."

_**Triton's presence chamber.**_

"Ariel," Triton addressed sombrely.

For a brief moment, Ariel found it unnerving that there was no warmness in her father's salutations to her. Quickly, she decided that it would be fair to infer that the sea king was upset over her now defunct marriage. After all, letting her remain a human being had been a most trying decision for him to make.

"Daddy, where are Flounder and Sebastian? My sisters?" she asked guardedly at last. "Shouldn't they be here with us?"

"We thought it best they'd not attend," Triton told her honestly. "The fewer people the better."

"But-"

"Daughter … is it true that you have been consorting with Cecaelians?"

The princess grew pale. A deep chill ran down her spine.

"No," she managed to lie hoarsely. "No Daddy, I'd-I'd never-"

"Your midwife, Gundred, claims that on the day of your disappearance you came to her asking her to perform Cecaelian magic on you."

"I was trying to save my marriage," Ariel insisted firmly. "That does not mean I consorted with anyone!"

"Then my guards tell me that you were last spotted inside Ursula's lair in the arms of a male Cecaelian."

Corin.

Her shoulders slumped.

"Tell me the truth, Ariel."

"I was frightened, Daddy," she admitted wearily. "Eric was angry. I had to do something. He said he was going to kill my baby if it was a girl. I am carrying a girl! I had to protect her!"

Triton said nothing.

"Father?"

"I must take this matter into serious consideration," the ancient mer men told his daughter grimly. "Until I am satisfied that there is no Cecaelian threat, you will be put in seclusion and the child will be destroyed."

Ariel put a hand on her belly.

"No!" she yelled. "My baby is innocent!"

"I am sorry, but I cannot afford to believe you. By seeking asylum with the Cecaelian people you have become a liability, Ariel."

"She hasn't been changed into one of them!" Ariel shouted franticly. "I left them! I told them I didn't want their help anymore! She has not been changed!"

Saddened, Triton shook his head.

"I cannot take that chance."

_**The palace prison**_

This was not "The mad house" and she was certain of it. She was also certain that her father would have never left her in such a place.

But why was she in a prison rather then an institution for the insane?

"Let me go! Let me go!" Ariel shouted, struggling fervently against the vice-like clutches of her guards.

"You know we can't do that," one of the burly men answered succinctly. "King's orders."

"I've done nothing wrong!" the princess shrieked.

"You've been with them Cecaelians again," sneered her other guard. "Too good for the likes of us. Can't cope with a human, so you split your tail for a fucking freak of nature."

Ariel bristled with fury.

"How dare you!" she seethed.

The guard chuckled.

"Thought you'd know better, especially after what the lavender bitch did to your father."

"Let go of me!" Ariel growled, squirming like a wild cat. "I want to speak with my father! Let me go now!"

"Suck it up, Ranga. Daddy won't help you."

Ariel's scathing reply to the derogatory given name was cut short when she saw the dark, dank, fetid inside of a prison cell.

"I am not going in there! Let me go!" she hollered from the top of her lungs. "Father! Daddy! Help me!"

A tall black haired mer man with emerald eyes, black tail and high widow's peak slid out of the shadows. Folding his arms across his chest, he gave the hysterical princess a look of the purest detestation.

"You are not in the position to give orders, whore," he informed her unsympathetically.

"I am not a whore!" Ariel protested feverishly. "I've haven't done anything wrong! I do not deserve to be in here!"

The man with the widow's peak curled his skinny lips into an aggressive sneer.

"Get the trollop inside and lock her in," he spat.

Ariel shrunk back in terror.

"Please don't," she whimpered. "I beg you!"

There was a snicker on either side of her.

"A princess begging. Interestin sight, aint it?" the guard on her left leered.

"Hell yeah," his companion replied enthusiastically. "Makes me cock come alive just by lookin at her."

"Reckon she was gagging for it when the freaks had her?"

"Had to be. All those tentacles bein shoved down her gob an-"

Before his companion could reply, the ominous mer man in the cell doorway cleared his throat.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" he inquired harshly. "Get the bitch inside!"

"Best do as he says an go an visit the wives, eh?" Ariel's right side guard suggested, surprisingly sheepish.

"Yeah, good trick, mate."

That being decided, Ariel was brutally shoved into the cell. The young mer woman fell onto the floor with a heavy thud, grazing her hands and tail.

Looking about her surroundings, Ariel fretfully hugged herself.

It wasn't a large room yet it was not what one would describe as cramped. Surrounding it were rows of wide, glowing royal blue and white jail bars.

Timidly, she reached out, touching one. She immediately regretted doing so for it burned her hand mercilessly.

Whimpering in pain and cradling her sore hand to her bosom, Ariel sat down on her bed, looking at the meagre meal of luke warm seaweed balls and whale milk that had been left for her.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered, looking away from the sustenance and staring at the glowing royal blue and white bars of her prison. "What am I going to do?"

There was a dull stinging sensation in the centre of her tail.

Ariel froze.

The sting persisted.

This could not be good.

Slowly, she turned to the doorway, seeking out the dark haired mer man.

"I need to split my tail; could you give me some privacy, please?"

To her immense gratification, the man nodded.

"I'll be around the corner," he informed her impersonally. "You will have five minutes."

Once satisfied that she had her requested privacy, the princess concentrated on forcing the scales and flesh to peel apart. When she finally had it open, she groaned her displeasure at the sight. The infection had certainly returned. Though mild, her folds were red and hot to the touch.

She gulped then covered her open tail with a blanket of seaweed and seal hide, lying back to stare sightlessly at her prison bars.

Closing her eyes, the poor woman took a deep, shuddering breath.

'_What do I do?'_ she asked herself mentally, _'What do I do?'_

Her mind drifted to Corin.

He and his people were the only ones who had not shunned her baby. They had wanted to help her protect it.

"But I hurt him," Ariel whispered to herself, hoping the cruel faced jailer could not hear her. "There's no way he'll want to help me now. I am so sorry for treating him the way I did. Oh Gods … Corin, I wish I had stayed with you."

She looked down at her globular stomach. A large tear dripped onto the beige cloth of her shift.

"So you did whore yourself."

Startled by the intrusive voice, Ariel near jumped out of her skin.

Looking to the front entrance of her cell, she found her jailor staring at her, powerful arms folded across his manly chest, again, thoroughly repulsed.

"Who are you?" she asked, sitting up. "I've never seen you here before."

"Jorgen, filth. You did not answer my question. Did you whore yourself."

"No," Ariel answered tightly. "Corin only wanted to help me."

The mer man chuckled. It was not a particularly nice sound. It gave her goose bumps.

"I'm sure he did."

"I don't see why I'm explaining myself to you," the princess spat angrily. "You certainly don't want to listen to my side of the story."

"I've heard your side of the story, little madam," the mer man boomed lazily. "I've heard it a thousand times," he smirked callously at her. "So many times that I've come to the conclusion that you are nothing but an attention seeking slut."

Had the bars not been so restrictive, Ariel would have gladly slapped him till he was black and blue.

"I reckon your fathers finally seen you for what you truly are," Jorgen went on acerbically. "We all kept our mouths shut because we knew how much he loved his little girl. But In the end everything eventually worked out the way we suspected it would."

"Who is this we?"

"A lot of people. A lot of people who think that you gave the lavender bitch and this … Corin a lot more then just a pretty voice and gratitude."

"Don't be stupid!" Ariel cried horror-struck with his statement. "I was only sixteen years old when I met Ursula and I told you before, Corin only wanted to help me!"

The jailer approached the cell wearing a look on his face that was so threatening Ariel shrunk back.

"You … are a liar," he whispered peering at her through the glowing bars. "You … are a whore. We mer people weren't good enough for you. A fucking two legs wasn't good enough for you. So you had to do the one thing your people could never forgive."

"The safety of my daughter is the only thing that matters," Ariel stated tilting her head defiantly. "I'd do anything for her."

"Don't put the brat into the equation, that won't work on me," Jorgen spat. "You may be able to wind that crab and guppy round your little finger, but not me. Emotional blackmail, especially by a woman, never worked on me."

"Then you'd better go away," Ariel muttered. "I've got nothing else to say to you and I'm tired."

_**Triton's presence chamber**_

"Gundred, how is she?"

"Just as we surmised, my king. She is clearly in refutation," Gundred answered unhappily. "My son, Jorgen, has finished talking with her. He has informed me that your fears do bare fruit and that we should deal with the menace without more ado."

Triton lowered his head, aggrieved by the information brought on by the mid wife.

"Keep Ariel out of sight," he advised when able to speak. "I do not want anyone knowing of this. My daughter is banished forthwith from this court until the situation with the Cecaelians is rectified and she can conduct herself in a manner I deem appropriate."

Gundred nodded.

"Of course your majesty."

"You will also tell Ariel that she may never return to the surface again. This is part of the agreement I have made with the prince and his mother. If she dares to disobey me, I will not hesitate to have her locked in the madhouse until the end of her days. She has brought a great shame upon me, her sisters and our people. She must suffer the consequences and earn back our trust."

"Yes your majesty."

Triton rose from his throne.

"I shall go and see her."

"I think that would be unwise, your majesty," Gundred protested gently. "Your daughter is very upset. Her disposition may sway your resolve. Let me go to her. I shall treat her with a firm hand. She cannot sway me, she knows that."

Triton nodded.

"You are right," he agreed.

"The princess Ariel has been given every comfort owed to her station," Gundred promised. "She does not want for anything." Gundred then licked her lips. "I must, with your permission, take my leave of your majesty and see to my duties to your daughter. My son cannot be expected to handle her on his own."

At once, a burden seemed to be lifted from Triton's shoulders.  
He smiled at the old mer woman gratefully.

"I am most fortunate to have one such as you by my side in this affair, Gundred. I know this must be problematical for you, particularly after what the Cecaelians had done to your husband and protectorate."

Gundred dropped herself into a low curtsey.

"It brings me joy to serve you, oh gracious king," she replied.

Triton smiled again.

"Go," he murmured faintly. "Heal her as best you can."

_**Ariel's prison**_

Ariel slept fitfully during the first night alone in her cell. Her tail ached intolerably and she was very hungry and thirsty, but the idea of eating or drinking anything filled her with the utmost apprehension. She strongly believed there was poison in her food. Not intended for her, but for her child.

No one spoke to her anymore. Jorgen continued to stare at her for hours on end, but he was never inclined to speak. The young princess was glad for this. It was much better then being told constantly that she was a wanton who did not understand the importance of preservation, virtue and fidelity.

She no longer spoke to her babe either. Speaking to the fetus instigated harsh mocking from an ephemeral guard or Jorgen; therefore she kept her mouth shut, stroking her belly whenever the little one became restless.

It was later that day when she was told that her baby would be aborted in the evening.

Seeing defeat, the young woman rolled to one side and curled into a ball.

"Corin," Ariel croaked. "Please … I need your help … Please help me. Help us … please."

"Well, princess, it is time."

Shaken, Ariel looked up at the approaching Gundred.

"Please," she begged desperately. "Please don't."

Face like stone, Gundred unlocked the heavy door.

"After what you did to me?" she then asked. "No, I'm not going to let you get away with it."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I had to help my baby!"

"That's a lie," Gundred contradicted softly. "You Cecaelians are all alike. Only thinking about yourselves!"

Peeling the blanket aside, Ariel pulled her tired body off the bed.

"I don't know what you're on about," she insisted angrily. "I am not a Cecaelian and neither is my daughter. Stop talking in riddles."

"Mate of the butcher who killed my husband!" Gundred continued in a sudden bitter hiss. "Queen Ariel!"

Ariel felt a deep chill go down her spine.

"How did you-"

The crone sharply cut her off.

"My husband helped convert your soul. For that, Corin had him killed and left me a widow."

Ariel stared mutely back at the woman, eyes bulging with horror.

"I always knew your soul would come into our world. The big question was when? Even after hearing of your birth, I could not bring myself to believe that you were the one I was waiting for. Yes, I had my suspicions when word got around that Ursula coveted you but I chose to ignore that, the lavender bitch coveted your father as well and had no knowledge of Corin or his realm."

'_You are so wrong about Ursula,' _Ariel thought.

"The situation changed dramatically when you came to me, begging me to change your girl child into a boy. I realised right there and then that there was no denying it. The Cecaelian Queen Ariel, favourite child of the Goddess, had returned and soon her mate would be aware of it too."

A horrifying beam leisurely spread across Gundred's wrinkly countenance.

"I'm going to have my revenge," she purred languidly to the young woman. "I'm going to hit Corin where it will hurt him the most. The child will die and then you will go after it. Corin will spend … God's know how long it will be before he finds you again."

"My father will never allow it!" Ariel snapped. "He-"

"Your father will believe whatever I want him to believe." Gundred insisted smoothly. "It would make perfect sense for you to commit suicide after the death of your precious little baby. A baby you have fought so hard for only to be destroyed because it was an abomination."

"No!" Ariel screamed. "No! No! No!"

Gundred drifted closer.

"I remember how they killed you the first time," she recalled softly.

"What?" Ariel choked out.

"It was cruel," Gundred admitted. "And inordinately slow. Although I am doing this for vengeance and I believed in my peoples cause, I am not a monster. You and the fetus will die quickly and without pain." She snapped her fingers and a slender blade, similar to a sword but lacking its hilt, appeared, floating between both mer women. "That is my promise to you."

"How can you still be alive?" Ariel demanded, trying to stall her. "No mer person has lived over four thousand years!"

"I was younger then my mate and kept in good health. I did whatever was necessary to stay alive, Queen Ariel. I had to. I did not wish to miss this focal opportunity."

She reached for the blade, gripping it securely with both hands.

Ariel squeezed her eyes shut.

'_Corin … please … help me. Help us,'_

Gundred snapped her fingers again, this time a bottle appeared containing a strangely ominous yellow liquid.

"Now you're going to make a choice," the midwife explained calmly. "You can take this potion and feel nothing. On the other hand, I can slit you open and drag the creature out of you while you lie bleeding on the floor. Either way that baby is coming out of your womb."

Ariel stared at her as though she had grown two heads.

"Well? What's it to be?" Gundred demanded, tapping a puce fin of her tail impatiently. "Make up your mind, princess."

Shaking her head, Ariel protectively covered her bump with her hands, shrinking further and further away.

"Fool," Gundred hissed. "The hard way it is to be then."

The fearful princess led Gundred in a dance, twisting artfully away from the midwife before she could get too close, always trying to get Gundred as close to the gleaming bars as possible.

After what seemed an eternity, Gundred had had enough.

"Don't think you can get away from me like that you injudicious woman!" she snapped at Ariel. "The walls only affect the detainee, not the rest of us! Now come here this instant!"

Winded, the young woman shook her head.

"You will never have my child," she avowed determinedly.

_**The Cecaelian realm, the war room**_

The crimson maned mate of Sorja's appeared instantly before the king and the emperor.

"You bellowed again?" she asked Corin, arching an eyebrow.

"I need to grab Ariel," the Cecaelian ruler explained. "Preferably unseen by Triton."

"Corin, you can't just bring her back here against her will!" Sorja objected angrily. "This is madness!"

Shellsa nodded, ignoring her mate.

"I can make an orb shield for you." The Cecaelia paused, thinking. "You'll need a stronger one then before because you'll be in Triton's territory. This orb will accommodate the two of you like the original but it will also have to whisk you from Triton's kingdom." She gnawed her lip thoughtfully. "I don't know if I can get it to come onto our realm … you may have to grab Ariel then get it to take you to the witch's lair."

Corin nodded.

"As long as it gets us beyond Triton's reach I will be satisfied. I can carry her back here if needs be."

"It shouldn't come to that. I'm fairly certain I can make it send you to the witch's lair."

"Ursula's lair it is then."

"If this doesn't work they'll be slammed into a wall," Sorja growled, folding his slender arms across his smooth chest.

Shellsa rolled her eyes.

"Have a little faith in me," Shellsa murmured then turned her attention back to Corin.

"Here's another idea. Cora and Sorja will be waiting on the other side of the shield wall to collect Ariel," she explained.

"Excuse me, I haven't agreed to anything!" Sorja protested.

Shellsa groaned.

"Oh do shut it, will you?" she complained.

Corin swiftly wrapt a tentacle around his brother's mouth.

"Are you going to keep your trap shut?" he asked the emperor.

Glowering, Sorja nodded.

"Good."

Corin unwrapped the tentacle taking care to pull at Sorja's lips and chin with his suckers.

"Bugger off!" Sorja cried, smacking the appendage away from him.

"Ahem?"

"Carry on," Corin bid Shellsa.

"Because Ariel had her baby changed back into a human you'll need to get her examined. I can prepare shields for the child, but she must be prepared as soon as you've entered the realm, Corin."

_**Triton's palace, Ariel's prison cell**_

Strength leaving her, Ariel slid to the floor, all the while staring up at her nemesis, daring her to try to do her worst.

Gundred sighed immensely.

"You should have never had come back here," she whispered almost sadly, preparing to deliver the first devastating blow.

Gnawing on her lower lip, Ariel prepared to spring forth and smack the weapon out of Gundred's hands.

"Get away from her!"

Out of the wall and through the bars slid the Cecaelian ruler with eyes nearly obsidian with rage.

"God's," Gundred whispered, astonished.

Ignorant of Gundred's awe, Corin quietly moved to float in front of the relieved Ariel, creating an almost chariot shaped black and blue fortification for her with his many tentacles.

"Stay behind me," he murmured to the young woman, never taking his gaze off the midwife.

Ariel was only too happy to oblige. Blinking rapidly, she leaned against the appendages, hands on her belly, watching, waiting

"I ask that you let us leave in peace," Corin told Gundred, tone barely even. "No one has to be harmed."

"And no one will be," Gundred answered, her composure regained. "You will depart and leave the princess with me, Cecaelian."

Corin shook his head.

"I cannot do that. She loves the child in her womb and you would forcefully purge her of it. Had the princess not wanted to keep the babe I would have been content to allow you to take it from her, but she does want it, therefore you should let them both go."

"The sea king believes that his daughter allowed your people to use their magic to tamper with the fetus, he will not suffer the child to live."

"Why?"

"He fears that it will come out as a Cecaelian and revolt," the midwife revealed promptly.

"The babe was weak when Ariel was brought to us. We agreed to change it into a Cecaelian so that it may live," Corin argued.

Gundred said nothing.

Whilst waiting for her decision, Corin mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that she was considering his words.

She wasn't.

Gundred was debating on whom she wanted to kill the most. Whatever happened, it had to be enough to hurt Corin. Her vengeance was the only thing that mattered.

"Mer woman?"

"I could cut the baby from her womb and give it to you," she offered tartly. "I know that it will be premature in Cecaelian months, but it will be alive."

"No, Ariel will lose too much blood and she will die. I want both of them," Corin answered inflexibly. "They are under my protection, mer woman. I am not so cruel to separate a mother from her offspring. Especially when the mother actually wants it."

"Then we are at an impasse," Gundred whispered. "Triton will have my head if I let her go. You will have my head if I do not. And another thing. I have my vengeance to consider. You know all about that, don't you, Corin? You and your precious people killed my husband."

"Your people butchered my wife and children!" Corin snarled at her. "Your people swarmed into our realm killing innocents by the thousands!" His voice rose into a great shout. "And now you dare to repeat the act by murdering an innocent woman and her child! There is nothing justifiable in your actions, mer woman!"

"You are abominations! You deserve nothing but death!" Gundred howled.

Looking on, Ariel trembled with panic. Her blue eyes darted fiercely back and forth, looking for an escape route lest something happened to her guardian.

'_Please don't let her kill my baby,'_ she thought. _"Please, please don't let her kill my little girl!"_

"Mer woman, you do not have to do this," a now moderately subdued Corin implored. "I am begging you. Give me Ariel and the child. I do not want to fight. If the sea king is whom you fear then come with us. We can give you sanctuary. Triton will never find you, I swear it!"

The midwife shook her head.

"You've forgotten. I have my needs to consider, Cecaelian," she reminded him deprecatingly.

"You do not have to do this," Corin whispered again.

"Jorgen!" Gundred shouted over her shoulder. "Jorgen! Guards! The princess is escaping!"

Before Ariel could blink, Corin was swinging her to a side.

"Hold on," he ordered her.

"No!" screamed Gundred. "Jorgen!"

"You didn't give me a choice!" Corin growled at the old crone. "Take her, now!" he barked over his shoulder.

"No!" Gundred screamed again. "Jorgen! Guards!"

Teeth bared, Corin began to spin himself and Ariel. Faster and faster, he moved till all that could be seen of the rank prison cell was a multi coloured blur.

"What are you-" Ariel managed to yell.

Her sentence was cut short as she was thrown at a wall. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prepared for the burning impact.

Nothing.

Glazing wildly about herself, the young mer woman found she was no longer in her cell but floating outside the palace walls.

"Impossible," she breathed.

Cora and Sorja appeared on both sides of her.

"Are you alright?" Sorja asked, promptly scooping her into his arms.

"I'm-"

"We have to take you back!" Cora cut off fiercely, eyes dark with trepidation. "Triton's guards have been summoned. He's probably already aware of what's happened. We have to go before we're caught."

"Over there, look!"

"Goddess, we're too late!" Sorja hissed through his teeth.

"Go!" Cora urged, giving her brother a hard shove. "We don't have time for procrastination! Go!"

"But-"

"Just go!"

_**A chamber**_

"Put her here," Cora told her brother, gesturing at an awaiting bed. "Then I need you to find Flotsam and Jetsam. She has to be put to sleep now."

"What? No!" Ariel protested wildly. "I don't want them in here! I don't want them anywhere near me!"

"It is imperative that you sleep," Cora insisted firmly. "You and the fetus have been without nourishment or ample rest for far too long."

Ariel's fear was more persistent then her reason.

"I don't want them touching me!" she whispered hoarsely. "Please don't!"

Cora shook her head.

"For the sake of the babe's health I must have the eels put you to sleep. You are in no fit state to make decisions, Ariel. Let us look after you."

_**Corin's chambers**_

"How is she?" Corin panted, emerging from the wall.

"Sleeping at last," Cora relayed whilst tucking a black lock behind her ear. "I had the morays put her to sleep so I could sustain her and the child while Shellsa prepares a shield."

Relieved, Corin leaned against the wall, wiping at the sweat on his brow.

"Good," he breathed.

Noting the dark blood on his tentacles, he made a face and began to wipe at it.

"And you?" Cora pressed, eying the blood cagily. "What happened? Did Triton see you?"

"No, he never saw me," he answered tiredly. "I got out of there as soon as I had taken care of the midwife. The guards were too slow; they only caught a glimpse of me."

Cora nodded.

"I see," she murmured gravely. "You had to kill Gundred? There was no other way?"

Corin put his tentacles down.

"No Cora, there was no way I could let her live. She was not going to let us go quietly. Had I not acted there could have been a blood bath."

Cora pursed her lips.

"I see," she said again.

"She did not suffer."

"I'm glad she didn't …" she licked her lips. "I fear I must confess that even … even if I was angered by what Gundred hoped to achieve, I would not desire a slow death on anyone."

Corin put a hand on her shoulder.

"Those times are over. We've done all of the torturing and slaughtering we need to do. We are not a violent race. How can we hope to unify with Triton if we continue to kill his species? We dealt with the ones we had to. The time for killing _is_ over."

The empress licked her lips again, nodding.

"I think it interesting that Gundred was still alive after all these years," she told her brother after a pause. "Surely all of the mer people from that time have died?"

"I think the mer people are aging slower then we thought they could," Corin told his sister frankly. "Or she was considerably younger then her mate when they wed."

Cora nodded her agreement.

"Poseidon is about as erratic as the Goddess," she murmured.

"I also think she must have taken another husband. Jorgen looked nothing like Naassher," Corin added thoughtfully.

"Did you kill him too?"

Corin shook his head.

"I meant to. He loved his mother greatly. It would have been kinder to have sent them to Poseidon together but there was no time."

Understanding, the empress turned to take her leave of her brother.

"I must see to Ariel," she told him over her shoulder. "I am glad you got out of there unscathed. I am sorry you could not help Jorgen. I suspect his grief will lessen in time."

Corin nodded.

"We can only hope."

_**Ariel's chambers**_

Coiled protectively around the sleeping princess's quiescent body, the eels curiously looked up at the approaching Cecaelian and hissed in unanimity.

"That's enough, let her go," Corin murmured. "You'll be sent for if needed."

They hesitated.

"Go," Corin commanded with more insistence. "Your presence is no longer required. I'm staying with her; guard the door."

When the eels had conceded to do as they were told, Corin drifted toward Ariel's lissom form.

Sweeping the ruby tresses from her face, he took a quiet study of her.

Minus the unsightly pale blue parasites clinging to her rib cage, stomach and tail, the scarlet haired angel was peaceful in her latency. And yet, if one were to search keenly for it, they would ascertain that her features still harboured slight traces of torment.

Disgusted, the monarch's rose-tinted lips curled back and a growl of fury rippled from his throat.

Abruptly the twin morays returned, looking up at him expectantly.

Corin shook his head.

"Leave us," he rumbled darkly. "We are not to be disturbed."

Once the twin moray eels had, yet again, departed Corin floated over to sit by the young woman's head.

"Looks like you're stuck with me, little queen," he murmured

Ariel woke in the wee hours of the new morning, chubby tail tingling unpleasantly with a sensation akin to pins and needles. Her enlarged stomach ached dully.

"Well it's about time, you've been asleep for hours, little princess."

With a sharp intake of breath, the woman's head shot up.

Ursula waited by the entrance of her chambers, her appearance significantly altered.

She was beautiful now, so beautiful she was barely recognisable. The only things giving Ariel's former nemeses' identity away was the lush, husky tones of her voice, the barest lavender tints to her pale smooth skin and the obsidian waist length hair.

"You like?" the witch purred, winking flirtatiously at the gaping Ariel.

"You!" the woman whispered, horrified. "You seduced Eric!"

Ursula's sensuous red mouth curved into a gloating smirk.

"Yessss," she hissed and stealth fully slithered over to the princesses' bed.

Looming over, she flagrantly cupped Ariel's face in one slender hand and began to stroke her hair and cheeks with the other.

Ariel flinched sharply but was unable to escape the witch's undesired caresses.

"Hush, hush, my dear," Ursula sing songed, "There's no need to fret."

"What do you want?" Ariel demanded, trying to recoil.

"Oh … I just wanted you to know that Eric really did enjoy it," Ursula giggled girlishly. "I made him scream, you know," she added, tangling her slender fingers in Ariel's crimson mane. "Just like I made your precious saviour scream."

"What?" Ariel choked out.

The witch began to pluck off the parasites with her tentacles.

"These are revolting," she commented, holding one for the mer woman to see. "Don't you think? Completely unnecessary, you've always been as strong as an ox."

She tossed it over her shoulder.

At last Ariel managed to jerk her face from the witch's hands.

"You and Corin?" she proclaimed in a heated whisper. "He would never be with you!"

"Oh but he was, angel fish!" Ursula cooed sweetly, simpering silkily. "His grief over losing you struck him so hard. I was there to pick up the pieces. Who knows?" she then added, ripping off the last of the parasites and sitting back on her haunches. "Maybe I can be of service again? I am _very_ good. It makes you wonder why he kept me and my lil sissy alive after you left, don't it?"

Predatorily, the witch leaned forward, the spellbinding red rings in her eyes making it impossible for the princess to look away.

"Maybe when you've tired of Corin you and I can have a bit of fun," she purred languorously. "Like I said, I am very good."

Ariel trembled.

"Mmm," she pondered wantonly, looking about her surroundings. "This little chamber of yours is quite lovely. We could have a nice, cosy threesome here. You, me and Cor-"

"No!" Ariel shouted abruptly, seemingly exonerated of Ursula's power.

Surprised, the witch backed off.

"You disgust me!" the mer woman snarled, sitting up against the rock hard wall. "You're nothing but a greedy whore! You think you can just take what you want without any regard for-"

Ursula was holding her face again, leering cruelly down at her, cutting her off mid sentence.

"Be careful," the woman warned in a barely controlled voice.

Ariel pushed against her captor.

"Get away!" she cried. "Get away from me you slut!"

The witch sighed.

"I see that you are still awfully naïve, my dear," she decided loftily. "It would bode well for you to heed my words."

Using her hands to keep Ariel in place, the sea witch dipped her head lower in order to whisper into the young woman's ear.

"Your new sweetheart is a male," Ursula reminded the frightened princess, her fingers gliding back and forth over Ariel's forehead and cheeks. "He did what any other male would do when his mate isn't around. He needed me. He wanted me, just like dear ol princie boy did."

A single tear slid down Ariel's cheek. Ursula reached out and caught it with a cherry red manicured fingernail.

"You need to grow up if you plan to keep this one, my sweet," she continued in an indolent coo. "Men like Corin don't grow on trees. I suggest you'd better think long and hard about that."

With a parting caress, Ursula left the princess alone.

Ariel rolled onto her side, trembling like a leaf on a windy day then rubbed furiously at her cheeks in an attempt to wipe away any parting sensation or imprint the witch may have left there.

Corin and Ursula … Why? Why would he sink so low?

'_Gods, why me … Why this?'_

_**Outside Ariel's chambers**_

"What on earth did you think you were doing?" Cora demanded angrily when she saw Ursula approaching. "You had no right to tell Ariel about your tryst with my brother! Think what you could have done to the child!"

"Oh please don't be so unkind, Cora, I beseech you!" Ursula moaned miserably, draping herself over her sister, back facing the empress.

"Can't you see I'm in utter anguish?" the witch then wailed. "Corin is marrying a woman who doesn't love him! It grieves me! Oh! Oh! Oh!"

"It does," Morgana added, patting sympathetically Ursula on the back.

Cora's lithe body prickled with antagonism and repulsion.

"I am going to do some damage control," she told the witches heatedly. "You will not enter that chamber without me by your side ever again, is that clear?"

"Perfectly," Ursula replied, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffling.

"Ditto," Morgana added.

Cora glared at Ursula.

"You are despicable!" she spat scathingly. "Preying on a frightened woman. I thought you were smarter then that."

"The princess deserved to know what kind of man she is marrying!" Ursula thundered. "I did it for her own good just as well as Corin's!"

"She did," Morgana quipped.

"No, Ursula. You told Ariel about your filthy rendezvous because you are out of control! Hasn't it ever occurred to you that this … clinging to an idea is detrimental?"

Ursula's lips receded. She gave a formidable growl of admonition.

Cora rolled her eyes.

"Get you gone," she ordered, quite aloof to the peril Ursula threatened to bestow upon her person. "Corin will be here to tell his side of the story."

The empress then gave Ursula an evocative look.

"I think you had better steer clear of him," she advised sagely. "Lest my brother decides to punish you for your lunacy."

The sister's had not been gone for long when Corin arrived.

"How is she?" he asked warily. "Sorja told me about Ursula's visit. Why weren't you or Shellsa with her?"

"We were needed elsewhere, Corin. Shellsa was told that the guards would watch the sister's for us while we attended to our duties."

"Some of the guards have less then unadulterated minds, Cora," Corin reminded her coolly. "Do not let them near the princess unsupervised again."

"I shan't, but brother, I believe now is the time to get rid of them. If we-"

"Enough," he protested. "I will go to Ariel now. Stay close."

"Because … ?"

"Because I have a feeling that she may have need of you when this is over."

_**Ariel's chambers**_

"Ariel?"

Bile rose in the young woman's throat, she swallowed thickly.

"Why didn't you tell me about the sisters seducing Eric, Corin?" she whispered, refusing to face him.

Corin flinched.

"Was it because you thought it was unnecessary?"

"In a way," he admitted at last.

"In … a … way?" she echoed disbelievingly.

"Keeping you and the child safe from harm was the only thing that mattered," Corin explained gently, moving closer. "Ursula and Morgana were not supposed to seduce Eric, but they did. I refused to tell you because I believed the information would hurt you."

Ariel rolled over, facing him.

"Well it does hurt me!" she snapped, outraged. "It hurts knowing that everyone would rather be with Ursula then with me! You …Eric! If you had just … just left Eric and I alone none of this would have happened! We would have been happy! Why couldn't you just stay away?"

"You know that wouldn't have been the case!" Corin insisted. "You knew Eric's family and people could not accept you. Had you stayed with him there would have been a war for the throne. Or worse he could be hating you. Hating you for what you were! Hating you for not giving him an heir. You do not deserve to be hated!"

"I don't care! I want my life back!"

"That life is over, I cannot give it back to you," Corin told Ariel sorrowfully. "If I could I-"

"You'd keep me down here and pretend that you love me when you are actually in love with Ursula!" Ariel spat venomously.

"I was never in love with her!" Corin cried. "I was with her for one moment. I was with you for thousands of years!"

"She seems to think otherwise!"

"She has delusions of grandeur!"

"No, you do! You believe that I'm yours for the taking. That we're in love. I am not in love with you! I hate you! I hate what you've done to me!"

He gave her a sad, gentle look.

"Your soul called to mine."

Losing herself to the hate filled madness that was consuming her mind and heart, Ariel made a lunge for him.

Using every ounce of strength she possessed she punched him, she slapped him, she scratched him.

Corin remained motionless throughout the battering; only flinching backwards when she broke his nose.

Panting, Ariel grabbed his hair, jerking his face close to hers.

"I would rather die a thousand times then ever be with you!" she snarled, ignoring the warm black blood sliding down the Cecaelian's chin, over her fingers. "I want-"

The sentence turned into a shrill shriek of pain.

"Ariel!"

Her hands fell away from his head, she sank to the floor.

"My tail!" the princess wailed. "My tail!"

Corin could not help but stare at the mer woman crying before him.

Ariel's tail was no longer a pretty cyan and peppermint but a portentous maroon. She rolled on the ground, hands tearing into the scales, creating deep to shallow scratches, sobbing and sobbing in agony.

"Cora!" he yelled. "Get in here now!"

Ursula and Cora burst into the chamber.

"Put her on the bed!" Ursula ordered roughly. "Flotsam! Jetsam!" she barked over her shoulder.

"No!" Ariel screeched, struggling to escape. "Not her! I don't want her or her sister anywhere near me!"

Ursula snorted.

"The pain's clearly making her delusional," she muttered under her breath.

Corin swiftly picked Ariel up, placing her carefully on the clam bed.

"They won't hurt you," he promised. "Listen to me. _Listen_ to me. I know this isn't what you want but they are the only ones who can help you right now. For your child's sake you must let them help you."

There was a soft hiss.

The eels had arrived.

"Corin, we have to do this now," Cora pressed.

"Wait!" the monarch snapped.

He grabbed Ariel's hand.

"I won't leave," he avowed, squeezing the limb gently. "I will not leave your side."

Morgana entered behind the morays.

Like her sister, she no longer resembled a lecherous hag but a luscious fair-haired maned Cecaelia.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"She snapped," Corin replied, stroking Ariel's bloodied knuckles with his thumb. "We'll need Shellsa. Where is she?"

"Calm down, I'm here," Shellsa announced, leaping toward the group. Clutched tightly in her hands, she held a flask full of the all too familiar pink potion.

The eels edged closer, focusing their glowing eyes on the princess who cringed into the mattress of the bed.

Corin glowered at them.

"Not yet," he snarled.

Thoroughly chastened, the eels immediately backed off.

"Right, let's get this show on the road," Ursula announced rubbing her palms together. "Put sweet cakes here in a slumber, split that ol tail and then-"

Ariel had to swallow back a scream.

If she were to be put to sleep again the sister's might try to kill her. The pain from the examination could be excruciating but she didn't have a choice. She had to stay awake.

"Don't knock me out," she pleaded to Cora. "Please don't knock me out."

"We won't," the empress assured, stroking Ariel's red fringe out of the way. "There is no reason why you can't be numbed."

"It's better that she's asleep," Ursula insisted forthrightly. "We have to split the tail ourselves. She can't do it."

"I can handle it," Ariel insisted in a frantic whisper. "Just keep me conscious. Please! You have got to keep me awake."

"The pain will be extraordinary," Morgana pointed out promptly. "You have to lie completely still. If you stress levels get any higher the fetus may likely die. I don't think numbing will suffice. You should go under."

Corin pinched his nose and sighed.

"Put her to sleep," he said at last.

"No!" Ariel protested riotously and started to thrash about.

"Hold her down!" Ursula barked. "She's disturbing the fetus!"

Cora and Shellsa moved on either side of the princess, taking hold of her arms, murmuring soothingly whilst she struggled to free herself.

Holding her hand as tightly as he dared, Corin watched apprehensively as the eels began to lull his beloved into another unwanted sleep.

_**Outside Cora's chambers**_

"How is she?" Sorja asked floating alongside his sister.

"She's resting."

"And the fetus?"

"The upset nearly killed the fetus but its safe now."

Cora then frowned.

"What is it?

"As soon as the child is born we _have_ to destroy the sister's," she told her brother earnestly. "Ursula thinks she can effortlessly snare Corin from Ariel. We can't let this continue."

"If we were to rid ourselves of them, wouldn't we be going over Corin's head?" Sorja asked coming to a halt beside her and folding his arms across his broad chest.

"Maybe, but we have to do it. Corin believes he owes them, Sorja. We have to take action or we stand to lose everything. He's taken a blind eye to what Ursula is up to. No wonder she managed to steal into Ariel's chamber and drive her into such a state. He thinks she'll bring her to no harm. This has to stop and sooner rather then later."

Sorja nodded.

"Agreed."

"Good. Now go. Shellsa is looking for you. I told her you'll be meeting with her in your chambers in a moment."

"Tittle tale."

She gave him a shove.

"Just go," she ordered, smiling.

Cora was just about to head for her own chambers with the intention of having some precious snuggle time with her own mate when she felt strange.

"Corin?" she called out, hairs on the back of her neck standing.

Speak of the devil.

Corin slid out from behind a blue/grey pillar. His nose had healed and the blood had been washed off his face, hands and rock hard torso.

"Planning to go over my head, little sister?" he asked curiously.

The Cecaelia wetted her lips with her tongue.

"Just looking out for you and Ariel," she told him directly. "You know that."

"You still believe I cannot be objective when it comes to Ursula and her sister?" Corin asked, frowning at the floor.

Cora hesitated.

"As I have said again and again, I think the time for protecting them has well and truly passed. Ariel is here now. Ursula clearly resents it. She thinks she owns you and we all know that Morgana will never stop following her lead."

Corin sighed.

"Cora-"

"Don't be angry with me," his sister pleaded fervently. "I am only doing what's best for you both. I couldn't bare it if something were to happen to either of you. You know this."

"Ariel resents us," Corin murmured.

"I think her fury is more so directed at Ursula and Morgana rather then at us," the empress corrected gently. "And I also think she is beginning to realise that she is safe. Leave her alone for a while. Let her be hateful. When she calms down, you should return to her and see what happens."

Corin stroked his chin thoughtfully. His rejection of Ursula's advances after his previous quarrel with Cora had clearly shaken the sea witch more then she cared to let on. It was not good for her to take her resentment out on the future queen, especially if her actions led to harm to the child or to its dam.

He smirked wryly at his sister.

"I should depend on your wisdom more often," he told Cora. "As you wish, get rid of them. But only after the baby's born."

"We could manage on our own-"

"No!" Corin snapped, fed up with her nagging, "I said after the baby is born, sister. Disobey me in this and you will not find me so forgiving. Am I understood?"

"Yes, brother, you are."

Corin gave his sister an assessing look.

"Again, if the witches die before the birth of this child I will neither forgive you nor will I trust you or Sorja again. Do not test me on this, I am not playing a game."

That being said, he left Cora alone.

Putting a wiry hand to her chest, the empress took a deep breath knowing that she was lucky.

Very, very lucky indeed.

_**Ariel's chambers**_

Ariel was lying on her back, covered with a seal hide blanket whilst her tail soaked in a cleansing bath.

"You wanted to see me?"

She turned her head to the figure floating in the entrance of her chamber.

"Yes," she replied softly. "I did."

He licked his lips, hesitating.

"I'm not going to hit you again," she mumbled sheepishly, colour high on her cheeks.

"It was justifiable."

She sighed.

"No it wasn't justifiable. It was inconsiderate. You were trying to look after us," she stroked her belly lovingly. "I was angry, I wanted to apologise for that. I've been feeling … I feel like I've lost everything."

Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence.

Corin reluctantly approached the bed.

"You have lost nothing," he told her.

Taking a chance, he timidly enclosed her hand with his own, thankful she did not shrink back.

"Your daughter is still alive. You are still alive." He paused, carefully choosing his words while she stared back at him, waiting patiently. "And you have me," he added. "You will always have me. I may not be Eric, but I will always be the husband you left behind."

The princess felt her lips peel apart, forming an O.

He reached out, touching her face, fingers sifting through the silky tresses, gliding over her waxen skin.

'_No more procrastinating,'_

"Do you love Ursula?" Ariel asked shyly. "I have to know. Be honest with me, Corin."

His brow furrowed slightly, a sure indication that this was not what he had wanted to hear.

"I let my pain rule my head when I lay with her," he confessed with a hint of self-loathing in his deep voice. "She knew I was in torment and took advantage of that. When I realised my mistake it was too late. The deed was done; thankfully it did not boast a child. Cora saw to that."

"She told me that you would go back to her," Ariel murmured. "She told me everyone I loved always wanted her over me."

"I will not deny that a part of me did want her," Corin muttered sagely. "I needed to fill a hole, she seemed only too happy to oblige."

Ariel bit her lip, lowering her head.

"She's a fool," he continued, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "I cannot love anyone else."

The princess swallowed thickly knowing he was talking about her.

"She's dangerous and manipulative," she whispered.

"I won't let her harm you."

"Is that another promise?"

"Cora and I have come to an agreement. As soon as the child is born the sisters will be destroyed."

She blinked.

"Really?" she breathed.

"Yes, Little Queen. I promise."

The young woman paused.

"Little Queen?" she whispered.

Dull, fuzzy.

But it sounded so familiar.

_**A memory**_

The dead queen and her mate were laughing vivaciously and racing against one another through a treacherous terrain laced with large boulders.

"You know what happens if I win!" Corin called out to her.

The beautiful Cecaelia smiled dazzlingly and increased her speed, gliding effortlessly ever onward.

"Beat you!" Ariel crowed triumphantly.

Corin skidded to a halt, glaring at her balefully.

"You know I hate racing through the rock formations!" he growled. "I almost slammed into that!"

"Don't be so wounded," the queen cooed harmoniously. "Petulance does not become you."

Her mate sniffed and looked away from her. To his displeasure, she simply giggled at him.

"Do you want a kiss?"

The annoyance from before melted away. He looked at her, scowl turning into a breath takingly sweet smile.

"What do you think, Little Queen?" he asked softly.

Ariel floated over to him, putting her arms around his neck.

"I think you need one," she murmured.

She kissed his forehead.

"Maybe two."

She kissed his right cheek.

"Three."

She kissed his left cheek.

"Four?" he asked hopefully, thumbs stroking the pale small of her back.

She pursed her lips playfully, grey eyes sparkling.

_**End of memory**_

"You used to call me that," she said to him.

Corin stared at her, genuinely surprised.

"You remember?" he asked, profoundly flummoxed.

"An endearment?" Ariel continued with her forehead wrinkled in concentration. "Is that it?"

He squeezed her hand.

"Corin!"

"Yes!" he managed to rasp. "Yes, it was."

Ariel's heart flickered then swelled with emotion.

She dropped her head, staring at the fingers entwined with his.

'_I'm his wife … I am his wife,'_

She raised her head.

'_I'm not afraid anymore,'_

"I will marry you," she told him in a small voice. "I want to help you unite with my father."

It was not the answer from his beloved wife, but it was close, It was enough.

Corin raised Ariel's knuckles to his lips which he firmly against the fair skin.

"Thank you," he breathed.

Behind her, Corin gathered up Ariel's scarlet hair, easing it aside.

The princess gulped apprehensively and closed her eyes.

She shivered as the heavy cold metal of the necklace kissed her bare skin and twiddled her thumbs.

"Give me your hand."

Slowly, willingly, the young woman gave him what he had asked for.

The ring slid onto her finger with ease.

It was done.

She was his betrothed now.

Corin interlaced his fingers with hers.

"Shall we go and tell them the good news?" he asked her.

She nodded feeling too overcome to speak.

_**End of part 7**_

_**Authors note**_

Will Ariel and the baby be alright? Will Corin and Ariel be happy? Who is the forgotten sister?

Better wait and see.

If you are an Ursula fan like me and think Corin is treating our favourite bad girl unfairly, I do apologise. Corin and Ursula had a past shag fest which Ursula hopes to have again while Corin, on the other hand, feels differently. He hoped she would see it as a one off with no strings attached.

After Ariel leaves him for Eric, he starts looking at Ursula the same way he did in the past. I think Cora has changed his mind, thus leading to his rejection of Ursula and his disbelief to her claim that she loves him.

Eric and Ariel's break up was tricky to write. Eric is desperate to start afresh with a new bride. His world spirals out of control a little when he sees Ariel is back and wants to be with him.

He is coming off as the bad guy, but I find that I like him in this story. He is showing his loyalty to his people and kingdom. That is a trait I must admit I find kind of heroic.

I am sorry if you are an Ariel/Eric shipper who was hoping Ariel would get back with Eric. I did not feel comfortable getting them back together in this story because Eric had cheated on Ariel.

Gundred's son, based on the pommy actor Mark Strong, was only a recent addition to this story. He is not from Gundred's first marriage, he was born to her and her second husband after Triton and his queen came into power and is eight hundred years old.

Now for the slash reference. The reference about Ariel whoring herself to Ursula was just Gundred's son being nasty. He despises Ariel because he believes she should have stayed with the mer people and been grateful, he also agrees with everything his mum tells him.

Ursula's behaviour toward Ariel is due to the fact that I wanted to type an intimidating scene between both characters. It was crucial for the chapter to have a predatory aspect.

Ursula uses touch because she knows Ariel will not like being touched by her, hence why she uses touch in order to intimidate our heroine away from Corin and their species.

In the first movie I believe she did the same thing in order to distract Ariel from the deal and I really wanted to incorporate that into the story.

Will this story have actual slash in it? I did say no but I have recently changed my mind. There is also a rape scene coming up, rape scenes are not fun to read so you will get a heads up you can avoid it; you will also get a heads up for the slash bit/s too.

Anyway!

Thank you for reading. If you have enjoyed this chapter, excellent! If not, oh well.


	8. Part 8

_**She dreams, part 8**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Ariel is about to have announce her betrothal to the Cecaelian realm. Will all go swimmingly or end up a complete dismal disaster?

_**Disclaimer**_

Rated M for angst and sexual content, graphic medical examinations and a very cranky Ursula.

Written in Australian and UK English and flames and Sue grumbles will be ignored.

Dedicated to Pete and Molly, my doggies and to Max, the fictional old English sheep dog who nearly stole the movie from Ursula, Sebastian and Ariel … Well, in my book he nearly did

_**The presence chamber**_

Ariel felt uncomfortable as she floated alongside Corin into the wide chamber.

"She has accepted me," Corin proudly announced to his siblings and their mates.

"Thought she was going to punch your ugly mug again," Sorja taunted playfully. "Ow!" he then exclaimed for Shellsa and Cora had elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Sorja, really?" Cora hissed disapprovingly then beamed at her brother and the princess.

"I am very glad for you both," she said happily, winking at Ariel who smiled timidly in return.

"I think we had better let the others know about this," Shellsa proclaimed.

"I'll send for them now."

"We'll give you a hand," Cora replied, taking Orion's hand.

"N-now?" Ariel echoed, her sapphire eyes wide.

"In precisely ten minutes," Sorja corrected. "Do you need to throw up?"

"Sorja!" Shellsa growled at him, swatting at the back of his head with her hand. "Behave!"

"Seriously, do you need to throw up, Ariel?" Cora asked. "You do seem a little off."

"I'll be fine," the princess mumbled. "Meeting several thousand Cecaelians … I'll be right as rain."

Corin brushed his thumb over Ariel's knuckles..

"Ready?" he asked.

She swallowed thickly.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied uneasily.

He squeezed her hand.

"I'm right beside you."

She looked at him and smiled faintly.

"I'm glad."

_**Ursula and Morgana's chambers**_

"Filthy little Ranga!"

Morgana dodged hurriedly to steer clear of the hurled object. Later, a vase shattered into many, many tiny fragments against the wall behind her.

Seething with fury, Ursula glared at the image of Corin and Ariel with the greatest invidiously.

"Are you going to throw anything else?" her sister asked cautiously.

"Darrgh!" Ursula roared. "The bitch! The whoreson bitch! I can't believe it!"

The beautiful witch took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down whilst Morgana waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"Ursula, darling?" the younger of the sisters cooed from behind her. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours, hmm?"

Ursula opened her eyes.

She seemed, to Morgana, eerily composed. This bothered the younger of the sisters greatly for Ursula's rage usually led to a most destructive temper tantrum. It seemed that the bubbling volcano had had its last roar and its energy had ebbed and died.

What in the Goddess' name was going on?

"I'm going to destroy her," the elder of the witch sisters revealed at last.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm going to kill the fucking little tramp and enjoy doing it."

"You can't do that!" Morgana protested fearfully. "We're being watched whenever we're with her. They can read our minds. And even if you could, Corin will have our hides!"

Ursula simpered cunningly.

"Not if we do it the right way, dearest," she purred.

Intrigued, Morgana glided over to float before her sister.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked.

"It's all very simple," Ursula confided to Morgana, a slender arm draped over her slight shoulders. "Angel fish has to die before the baby pops out of her fandango. To be able to kill her we simply feed the infection she already has."

"Clever," Morgana praised nodding. "Very clever."

"Hm, hm. I _know_. I was going to keep the darling little woman around as a … plaything," Ursula sighed. "Not a chance of that happening," she added wistfully. "Her heart belongs to _my_ man now."

Ursula slowly turned Morgana to face her, eyes aflame with determination and venom.

"Ariel has everything I want now," she hissed through bared teeth. "A child. Power. Corin. The more I take away from her the more the scraggy trollop gets! It's time to even the scales!"

"But they can read our minds!" Morgana pressed, her uncertainties eating away at the recent admiration she had felt for her sister. "They'll know!"

"Not if we drink this potion, my dearest," Ursula informed with a confident smile.

"What potion? Where is it?"

The older witch snapped her fingers; barely a second had passed when a bottle containing an icy blue liquid appeared in her hand.

"Take a swig of this," she invited, pulling out the stopper.

"What does it do?" Morgana asked, mildly worried.

"The thoughts they read will be false. This hides our genuine thoughts. They won't know what's happened till it's too far late."

Satisfied, Morgana reached for the bottle.

"Cheers, sis," she said then took a mouthful.

Ursula smirked unctuously, watching her sister wipe her mouth.

"Ariel will give up the ghost and then Corin and her daughter will be mine," she chuckled folding her arms across her generous ebony bosom. "Life is good,"

"And what do I get?" Morgana demanded, bumptious. "I had better not be left out in the cold, Ursula."

"Empress Morgana," Ursula announced then mock curtsied.

Morgana stroked her chin.

"Mmmm, I like it," she murmured.

"Thought you would."

"I can see myself riding Orion," Morgana continued in a low moan. "Maybe even hump Sorja again, he was divine the first time, heee!"

She stretched out on a nearby rock, winking mock flirtatiously at her sister.

Ursula chuckled again.

"Slut," she taunted.

Morgana, ignoring the name-calling, straightened herself, her luminous face serious.

"What if Corin doesn't want you after all this? Like it or not, he's in love with Ariel, you said so yourself. He might want to wait for her resurrection again. He might be uncontrollable."

"Trust me. After I'm done he won't be in a position to even look at anyone but me," Ursula vowed stoutly. "And no one. Not Ariel or that bitching little sister of his will take Corin away from me."

Just at that moment, Flotsam and Jetsam slithered into the witch's line of vision.

"My babies!" the Cecaelia cooed. "Do you like my scheme? Hmm?"

The morays hissed and curled around her svelte body like cats.

Revelling in the idea of Ariel's downfall and her rise, Ursula threw her head back and laughed long and hard whilst her sister crossed her fingers behind her back.

_**Ariel's chamber**_

"But I'm a princess already," Ariel complained whilst Cora curled her hair.

"Yes, but you are not one of our princesses," the empress explained, twisting the red tresses until they spiralled down to Ariel's waist. "We are going to have a little … ceremony where you'll become a dowager princess. Then after you marry, you'll become our Queen-again. Though it is rather annoying this is a much better way to welcome you back into the family and propriety insists that we'd do this."

"Is that why Shellsa and Orion are only lords and ladies?" Ariel asked curiously. "Because it's so hard?"

Cora nodded.

"Shellsa and Orion hate all the pomp and circumstance we have to go through. Their roles are, although more precarious, less onerous. When we go back to our cities Orion will remain the guard and Shellsa will still maintain defences."

"What is your city like?"

Cora smiled happily.

"Bright and beautiful. It glows like a great big pearl in the darkness."

"Why did you leave it?"

Cora bit her lip.

"Corin needed me. Sorja certainly couldn't handle him on his own. And my daughter, Nina … She was not coping very well after the war. When the mer men defiled the topaz temple they raped the priestesses … Nina was the head priestess."

Ariel put a hand on her mouth.

"Eventually Nina's pain became unbearable," Cora went on. "So unbearable she left for the Goddess's haven. Orion and I have not wanted a child since."

Ariel reached out, timidly putting a hand on Cora's creamy cheek.

"I'm sorry," Ariel said softly lowering her hand to her lap.

"It doesn't matter anymore," the empress told the princess hoarsely. "What happened, happened."

Taking Ariel's hand in her own, Cora squeezed it gently.

"I am so glad you found your way back to us," she told Ariel, eyes sparkling with tears.

_**Corin and Ariel's presence chamber**_

Ariel felt her entire body tingle with thousands upon thousands of nerves as a chestnut maned Cecaelian priest with amber eyes assiduously pushed an amethyst ring with onyx settings onto her little finger.

Solemn, the holy man released her hand then nodded to Corin, Cora and Sorja.

They nodded back at him then resumed watch the coronation.

The priest began to hum sweetly then chant. The chant that emanated from the priest's mouth was a deep, guttural cacophony that greatly offended Ariel's ears, reminding the princess of an old ram calling for its mate or the elongated bellowing of a giant bull.

The mer woman fought hard against the urge to cover her ears. She pursed her lips and tried to shut the sound out by looking into the vast crowd.

All of the Cecaelian's seemed to be watching her expression with amusement. Cora, Sorja and Shellsa coughed quietly into their hands in an attempt to hide their mirth whilst Corin and Orion smiled faintly in her direction.

"She's doing well," Cora telepathically told Corin, watching Ariel. "I don't believe she thinks much of Ragr's chanting though."

"I want the princess moved to my chambers," Corin replied in the same fashion. "Have the sisters see to it now."

Cora pursed her lips.

"A little too soon, don't you think?" she asked mentally.

"I want her to be safe," the monarch explained calmly. "What better way to look after her then to have her in my own chambers?"

His sister nodded nevertheless, frowning.

"Very well, brother. But tell me, what if she is not ready to share a bed with you? What happens then?"

"Keep your mind on the task at hand, Cora and leave the rest to me."

Ariel felt a wave of profound relief when the chanting was over. She looked anxiously to Corin, hoping there was no more to it then that.

Her betrothed floated over until he was in front of her, face unfathomable whilst the priest returned with a golden gem studded chalice filled to the brim with a golden liquid.

Humming again, he held it to Corin who unquestioningly took it and sipped from the chalice then handing it back to the priest.

"Nectar from the haven, Princess Ariel," he explained patiently. "To drink it is a blessing."

That being said, he brought it to her lips.

"Drink," he encouraged. "It will not harm you."

Ariel gulped down her apprehension then sipped delicately.

The golden liquid was cold and sweet in her mouth, yet when she swallowed, her throat and belly grew warm.

Handing the chalice to his servant, the priest took Ariel's hand then turned to Corin.

"Do you recognise this woman as the dowager princess?" he asked the monarch sagely.

Corin bowed his head.

"I do," he replied in the same manner.

The priest nodded then turned to Sorja and his sister.

"Do you recognise this woman as the dowager princess?" he asked them.

"We do," the pair answered.

Ariel sucked in air through her nostrils.

'Surely it's almost over now,' she thought.

The priest took her hand, holding it out so that the people could see the small ring.

"The dowager princess!" he called out to them.

There was thunderous applause and cheering from all sides of the chamber. Ariel bowed her head diffidently, the colour high on her cheeks.

Smiling proudly at her, Corin slid beside Ariel, putting a reassuring hand on the small of her back.

"Shall we?" he asked, nodding to their thrones.

The woman nodded.

"Please," she said.

Seated beside Corin, Ariel was thoroughly spooked when another strident cheer rose from the lively audience.

Her people.

There were so many of them. So many individuals all delighted to see her beside Corin.

All except Ursula and Morgana … They were nowhere to be seen.

She reached out and touched her betroths arm in order to get his attention.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Where are Ursula and Morgana?"

"They'll be back soon," he murmured. "It's nothing dramatic."

Ariel nodded and sat back, patting her stomach.

Her daughter had grown considerably restless shortly after the coronation; the princess grimaced her discomposure and plucked at her shift.

"Is it the child?" Corin asked, mildly concerned.

Ariel nodded and patted her belly again.

"It's nothing dramatic," she told her betrothed, smiling slightly at her pick of words.

"We know you have all been waiting a long time to see Ariel," Sorja announced to the masses of men, women, children, snakes, sharks and other creatures. "Pray forgive us for not presenting her to you sooner."

Another cheer.

Ariel blushed deeply.

Cora gracefully moved to float before her brother and his intended.

"People have come bearing gifts for you," she told Ariel. "Would you like to receive them now?"

Ariel looked to Corin then nodded.

The Cecaelia empress smiled joyfully then turned to the multitude of waiting people with a beckoning hand.

Ten Cecaelians quickly formed a unisex line before the twin thrones.

The first to present a gift was the priest who had led Ariel through her coronation.

"This is Ragr, head priest of the Goddess," Cora enlightened Ariel, hands clasped in front of her. "He will be making the journey to her haven before long."

"I feel most fortunate to have been allowed the opportunity of seeing you before I die, my queen," the priest told Ariel, taking her hand. "I must say that never in my seven thousand years have I seen such a beauty," he then winked at her, adding in a mischievous whisper, "I always knew that my uncle would find you again."

The mer woman's eyes grew wide.

"Un-uncle!" she exclaimed staring from him then turning her aghast eyes to Corin who shrugged and smirked.

"He's our first born," Sorja told Ariel, smiling proudly at his offspring whilst Shellsa bit her lip uncomfortably.

"My queen, I give unto you this book, a detailed history of both our family and people," Ragr told Ariel proudly. "I do so hope my tome helps fill in the gaps."

"Thank you," the woman said, touched. "But before you go, I have to ask why you call me queen. I'm not a queen yet."

The kindly priest grinned at her then patted her hand.

"Farewell, my queen," he said then took his leave.

Ariel had only just received the last of her gifts when Ursula and Morgana breezed in.

"Sorry for being late!" Ursula cried gaily, flouncing toward the thrones, Flotsam and Jetsam on either side of her lush figure. "We have a gift for the yummy mummy as well!"

Corin curled his hand tightly around Ariel's.

The princess shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She did not want to accept the presented gift but decorum stated that she had to.

"Thank you," she managed hoarsely, warily eying the lavish box the giant Undertow dragged into her sight. "It's very generous of you."

Morgana waved her hand glibly.

"Think nothing of it. It's just sea flower nectar."

"All the same," Ariel said softly, "Thank you."

Cora unexpectedly clapped her hands.

'We should leave them alone," she announced in her dazzling bell like voice. "Our Ariel needs her rest."

Murmuring their farewells, the guests smoothly made their way out of the opulent chamber until all who remained were the sisters, Corin, his siblings, their mates and the new dowager princess.

Before Ariel could say anything, Corin swiftly picked her up. Whilst leaping away from the thrones, he proceeded to carry her from the presence chamber, the others trailing behind him.

_**Corin's chambers**_

Cradled in Corin's arms, Ariel looked about her surroundings in confusion.

These were not her chambers.

What was she doing here?

"Corin. I-"

He kissed her forehead.

"Shh. The change was necessary."

The massive clam in the centre of the chamber dropped to the floor, landing on it's belly with a heavy whump.

Cora floated over to the lid, tapped it, and then waited for it to open. It was only then Ariel realised that the clam was in fact a colossal black velvet and sponge bed.

Ursula slithered over to the group.

"Put her down," she instructed, exquisite face totally devoid of any other emotion then serious attentiveness.

Gently, Corin lowered Ariel onto the soft black surface then took a place beside her head.

The young woman sighed softly with immense gratification as her sore body sunk deep into the obsidian mattress. It was very similar to lying down on a waterbed devoid of the sloshing sounds.

"Drink this, sweet cakes," Ursula said, handing the princess a goblet.

Ariel eyed the goblet distastefully.

"So soon?" she asked, almost tasting the disagreeable contents in her mouth already.

"We're just taking a precaution," Cora explained to her kindly. "This isn't a protection potion; it's for your nerves. We want to keep you awake so you can have a good idea of what's going on."

"When should it kick in?" Corin asked.

"Almost immediately."

Wearily, Ariel heaved herself into a sitting position and then reached for the goblet. She was quick to skull it, coughing at the unpleasantness of it all when finished.

Cora lightly thumped her on the back then helped her recede into the bed.

"That was disgusting," the woman mumbled, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'll be glad when this is all over."

Corin smirked lightly at her irritation. Taking her free limb, he cradled it between his own.

"Right. Time to split the tail, Angel fish."

Ariel flinched.

"I don't think I-"

"Time is of the essence," Ursula pressed intolerantly, cutting her off. "Tick, tock. Tick, tock."

Corin and Cora both glowered forebodingly at her.

"Enough," Corin growled softly.

"Ariel, the bath we gave you should have healed your tail, it shouldn't hurt this time," Cora said, inveigle. "Just try."

Ariel furrowed her brow in absorption, gritting her teeth as she attempted to make her scales and flesh peel apart.

Releasing her hand, Corin began to stroke her hair.

"Just take your time," he murmured, fingers sifting through the red curls. "There's no need to rush."

Morgana rolled her eyes mentally.

'_You think,'_ she thought.

She tried again and again.

Nothing.

"I can't do it," Ariel whimpered fretfully. "Please don't make me try anymore. I can't do it!"

Cora swiftly leapt from her spot to sit by Ariel's tail, rubbing it resolutely with both hands.

"Help me, Morgana," she ordered.

"Ugh, it's like its been sealed shut!" Morgana complained.

Ariel had had enough.

"It's not going to open!" she snapped, jerking her heavy tail away from the witch and empress. "Both of you just leave it alone!"

Ursula sighed.

"Calm down, little fish," she said to the princess in a slothful drawl. "This just means that we have to open it for you."

Ariel's blue eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"O-open it for me?" she stammered.

Ursula shrugged.

"Meh, we've got you all drugged up, sweet cakes. You should hardly feel a thing."

Morgana's mouth curved into a winning smile.

"A solution at last!" she sing-songed. "I'll grab the tools!"

With that, she was off.

Moving behind her, Corin pulled Ariel onto his lap and cuddled her to him.

"Don't look," he murmured, resuming the stroking of her locks. "It'll be over soon. You'll be fine."

Mere moments later, Morgana popped up beside her sister. To the princesses' abject horror the luminous witch was gaily brandishing an intricate silver dagger.

"Thank you," Ursula quipped, using a tentacle to grasp its hilt.

"Wha-what in Poseidon's name are you going to do with that?" Ariel whimpered.

"Told you. Splitting the tail."

Frightened, Ariel started to struggle.

"Easy," Corin soothed, gripping her arm below the elbow, "easy."

Deciding she'd better intercede, Cora swiftly grasped the mer woman's other arm.

"Ariel, no," she said firmly. "Just look at me. Look at me."

Clenching her teeth, Ariel intractably shook her head, continuing to twist and buck.

Bored, Ursula tapped her fingers impatiently against the hilt of the blade.

"Do I need to send for my little poopsies?" the witch asked sardonically.

"Ariel, I want you to look at me," Cora urged again, ignoring Ursula. "Look at me."

Slumping resignedly against Corin, the princess had no alternative but to obey.

"About time," Ursula grouched.

"Ariel, this _is_ going to hurt," Cora told the younger woman point-blank. "But only for a moment. Just a moment. You can handle this. It's only a little bit of pain. The potion will help you. It will numb you." She looked up at her brother. "And Corin's here," she added earnestly. "We're both here. We're not going anywhere."

Staring back at her, the woman blinked. Tentatively reaching out, Ariel gradually wrapped her tiny thin hand around Cora's then timorously reached for Corin's.

"A-alright," she allowed softly.

The empress smiled warmly.

"Alright," she echoed, relieved. "Just relax for a moment. Breathe … Breathe … Alright … alright; I think we can begin now, Ursula."

The sea witch dragged the dagger from the tip of Ariel's tail down to the very end. The gruesome stench of blood, pus and mushrooms filled the group's nostrils.

Screeching in agony, the young mer woman flung her head back and arched off Corin.

"Keep her still!" Ursula barked, proceeding to scrape the dagger through more of Ariel's tail. "The less she moves the faster I can work!"

"Why is she in pain?" Corin demanded, compactly hugging a hysterical Ariel. "You said the potion will was fast!"

"It's not supposed to be this tardy!" Cora spat in retaliation. "I don't know how it came to be this way!"

Ariel screamed.

"It's almost as if she has Thrush," Morgana muttered, distastefully wrinkling her nose.

"What is that?" Corin asked.

"An infection," Cora explained briskly. "Mostly occurs in female humans and mer maids and women."

"But this isn't Thrush, is it?" Corin interpolated. He looked to Morgana. "You said almost?"

"I don't know what "This" is," Cora stated grudgingly before the witch could speak. "All I will say is that this needs to be monitored much more closely then before."

"We're almost there," Morgana muttered, keeping a tight grip on Ariel's tail fins. "One more incision."

The witches and Cora hissed their disgust.

What they had discovered was not a welcome sight. The once pale pink flesh was an angry red and covered in multiple weeping, yellowish bumps.

"What in the world …" Corin began, staring at the horrific monstrosity that was the inside of Ariel's tail.

"The infection's spread," Cora said with reservation. "That's why the potion was so slow."

"What can you do for her?"

Cora pondered for a moment, glancing from Morgana then to Ursula.

"Find Shellsa and bring in the other tools," she instructed the sister's finally. "Make up a poultice. Be quick about it."

"Cora, do I need to repeat myself?" Corin growled ominously at his sibling.

"It's malicious," the empress explained, "but it's nothing they can't handle. In any case a fresh shield will have to be put around the baby and Ariel will have to start her lying in today."

"No," the woman protested feebly, pain free at last. "Don't put me into confinement, please!"

Cora resumed her place by her friends head.

"It will only be for a few more months," she assured smoothly, stroking the woman's sweat dampened hair. "And we'll keep you entertained. You won't even notice you're stuck in bed and-Oh, that does look ghastly!"

Ariel looked from Cora to the approaching witches. The disgust and horror she had known before would have accelerated into something else had the potion not been working.

Ursula glided toward the group, grasping a long thin blade in her hands.

"Wha-what are you going to do with that?" the dowager princess asked, eying the witch apprehensively.

The woman smiled down at her, hence putting Ariel even more on edge.

Despite being intoxicatingly beautiful, the sycophantic look of earlier remained plastered all over the witches altered visage.

"Just lancing a few pustules, my dear," Ursula informed, her husky voice as sweet as poison.

Ariel smacked a hand to her forehead.

"I should have guessed," she muttered.

_**Ursula and Morgana's chambers**_

"That was easier then I thought," Morgana remarked as they waded into their chamber.

Ursula smirked.

"Not long now," she murmured to herself.

Morgana slid over to her sister, grinning wickedly.

"What's next?" she asked, eyes feverish with excitement.

Ursula's smirked deepened into a shark like grin of devious pleasure.

"You'll see," she avowed confidently. "You'll enjoy it more without too many spoilers, little sister."

_**Shellsa and Sorja's chambers**_

Shellsa absently hummed to herself as she mixed the ingredients for the baby's shield.

"One pinch of ash from a volcano," she mumbled sprinkling the grey fragments into the bowl. "And last, but not least, clear crystal fragments."

"Shellsa?"

The red head sighed.

"Not now, Sorja. I'm busy."

"I just wanted to see how you were," Sorja told her innocently. "Nothing more."

"I'm fine."

"Fine?"

Shellsa sighed again.

"Now I am," she murmured, reaching for her grinder. "Right now, I am fine."

"Shellsa, it's not a crime to be upset."

The woman shook her head.

"I don't have time."

"Shellsa we-"

"Sorja, I can't be upset!" Shellsa yelled abruptly. "Not now!"

Slamming the bowl onto the table, the lovely Cecaelia bent her head, taking one shuddering breath after another.

"Get a grip!" she hissed through her teeth. "Get a grip! Get a grip! Get a grip!"

Sorja wisely kept his distance from his mate, waiting for the storm to subside so they could talk.

"Our children die all the time," she managed to grind out. "Sometimes they come back, sometimes they don't … It just … I'm just … I'm never going to see Ragr again. He doesn't feel that he has to return because Ariel is back! Goddess! He doesn't even want us to say goodbye, he thinks seeing him die will hurt me! Sorja … Everything hurts already! Everything-everything hurts so much but I can't take a moment to be upset because I have to do everything in my power to protect Ariel and this baby!"

A colossal sob worked its way from her chest to her mouth.

Shellsa squeezed her eyes shut and groaned.

"Do you want me to help you?" her mate asked softly when her breathing had softened.

Tearfully, the poor woman sniffed and nodded.

Sorja came up behind her, hugging her tightly.

"We have other children," he murmured against her hair. "They are younger and they need us. When you look at them you will see Ragr shining through every single one of them, you know you will."

She sniffed again.

"You are not alone in this, Shellsa," Sorja reminded her. "Cora knows exactly what you are going through. Nina left her and Orion as well."

"But mer people did not rape Ragr!" Shellsa protested, frustrated. "It's entirely dissimilar, Sorja! Nina felt that she had to die to escape her horrors, Ragr had nothing to runaway from. He was born after the war!"

"But it is the same. Nina and Ragr both became tired of living. It happens, Shellsa. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll get tired of living as well?"

_**Ariel and Corin's chambers**_

"I thought they'd never leave," the young woman muttered under her breath, watching the Cecaelians float away.

Corin had gone to meet with his people and Cora wanted to see how Shellsa was coping.

Since her child was no longer restless and she was still feeling the effects of the potion, Ariel opted to doze for a while.

When she woke up she was bored out of her skull.

Reaching for the book Ragr had given her, she began to read.

"_**The Cecaelian guardians were created by the Goddess, formerly known as Vorlorna the gentle. Five hundred female guardians and five hundred male guardians were created by both the Goddess. These guardians would not only defend and govern the naturally born Cecaelians but also unite with the mer people, thus protecting the entire ocean from a new threat, human beings.**_

_**Out of the thousand children, the Goddess had seven favourites. Ariel, Queen of the south, her mate Corin, king of the south, Corin's sister and brother, Cora and Sorja the emperor and empress of the north and west.**_

_**Following them was the emperor and empress of the east, Circa and his mate Kunama. It was the empress Kunama's brother, Orion, would later become the mate of empress Cora.**_

Ariel's eyes flicked to the opposite page to look at a coloured depiction of the Cecaelian queen.

Even in a sketch, the woman was remarkable to look upon. Her creamy skin glowed. Her light brown hair spiralled down her slender back. Her eyes were full of majesty and compassion.

"_**Before their union, the lady Ariel courted the emperor Sorja. It is not known why she and the emperor did nothing more then court, yet after three years of courting, lady Ariel chose to court then later gave her hand in marriage to the king Corin and take her place along side him as his queen.**_

_**Sorja remained unattached till after the war, marrying the lady Shellsa."**_

"Did I hurt Sorja?" Ariel wondered aloud, frowning at the sketch of her former self. "What kind of person was I back then?"

Not wanting to read anymore, she set the book aside.

_**The wedding ship, Eric and Genevieve's compartment**_

Eric looked up from his sleeping bride to the man standing in a shadowy corner.

Despite the darkness marring his vision Eric could see that the stranger was quite tall, thin with pale skin. He was dressed in a silk black shirt and tight fitting black pants. Longish black hair hung about his face reaching his broad, strong shoulders.

"Who are you?" he demanded sitting up in his bed, ignorant of his nudity.

"Who I am does not matter," the mysterious man answered in a deep voice. "How do you like your new bride, Prince Eric?"

Startled, the royal looked to the woman sleeping beside him.

"Genevieve," he whispered prodding her. "Genevieve, Wake up!"

"She won't wake until I decide she wakes," the stranger murmured. "I am here to talk to you, prince. There will be no disturbances, please don't call for aid."

Eric swallowed thickly.

"Ursula?" he whispered.

"I am not Ursula."

"Morgana?"

"I am not Morgana, either."

"Then who are you?"

"I already told you," the stranger answered lazily. "My identity is of little consequence."

Eric stared stupefied at the man. He could barely understand what was going on.

Why had this … creature sought him out?

"I think who you are does matter," he contradicted softly, a protective hand resting on his brides bare back. "I don't like being toyed with."

"You let Ursula and her sister play countless games with you. You seemed to enjoy those games."

"Did Triton send you here to-"

The stranger shook his head.

"Then why are you really here? It can't be about Genevieve. What do you want?"

A faint smile spread across the man's thin, rosy lips.

"To thank you for looking after her and giving her back to me."

Eric's eyes widened.

"Ariel!" he breathed. "How is she?"

"She is well," the stranger said calmly. "As is the child."

Eric's surprise turned to melancholy.

"I hurt her," he confessed. "I hurt them both."

"Yet you did it to protect them, yes?"

Eric nodded.

"And my people. She didn't belong here. God knows what would have happened if she stayed any longer."

"Ariel and the babe are safe now. They want for nothing."

The prince looked at the stranger thoughtfully.

"Is she one of you?" he asked after a pause.

"She used to be. A long time ago," the dark haired man revealed reluctantly. "I loved her."

Eric was stunned.

Corin decided it was time to leave.

"I will take my leave of you. Your kingdom will thrive and Genevieve will give unto you many healthy sons. You needn't worry any more."

Relief spread across the young prince's face.

"Thank you."

_**Sorja and Shellsa's chambers**_

Shellsa looked up in surprise when Corin entered unannounced.

"I haven't been slacking," she promised, leaping from the clam bed she shared with Sorja. "I was only-"

"Its fine, Shellsa. I was checking up on you but not for that."

The woman sat back down, raking a hand through her hair.

"I'm a little out of sorts," she mumbled.

He nodded understandingly.

"Ragr left today," he told her softly. "I saw to it that his body was handled properly."

Shellsa stiffened slightly, her tentacles bent beneath her willowy torso.

"Does …" she paused, gathering herself. "Does Sorja know yet?"

Corin put an arm around her shoulders.

"I wanted to let you know first."

She nodded.

"Thank you … If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone now."

"Whatever you need," he told her grimly. "Cora and I can look after Sorja."

The corners of the woman's mouth lifted into a tired, bitter smirk.

"I know you can."

_**Ursula and Morgana's chambers**_

"She isn't getting worse!" Morgana complained, pouting. "If anything, our little lady seems to be getting better."

"Just biding my time, Morgy dearest," Ursula murmured staring ahead, arms folded across her black chest. "We need balance."

"Ha! One would think you actually wanted to keep the wretch alive!"

Snarling with rage, Ursula slammed Morgana roughly against a wall.

"I … don't … want … the … whore … to … live!" she ground out through clenched white teeth, eyes ablaze with feverish anger. "I crave her death as much as a human needs air to breathe!"

"Fine, point taken."

Slowly, Ursula backed off.

"We can't kill her too soon," she muttered raking a hand through her lustrous black mane. "Corin must be controlled. I _need _to be able to control him. The only way to do that is to kill the bitch at the right time."

"What about Cora? She's watching us more diligently then ever!"

Ursula threw her head back and cackled.

"Oh, Morgy … the empress won't be a problem for long. I have _gigantic_ plans for her."

"Care to divulge a few of them, sis?"

Ursula shook her head.

"Soz, darling. It's a surprise!"

_**End of part 8**_

_**Authors note**_

What is the divine Ursula up to? And are there really chocolate biscuits/cookies on the dark side?-Yes, there are, I reside there all the time, lol!

The title "Dowager Princess" may not have been the most accurate term to use. I wanted to give Ariel a title that stated that she was an unofficial princess of the Cecaelian realm. This is due to the fact that she is a mer woman and not yet a Cecaelia.

Find out more in the next chappie and thank you for reading this, if you liked it, excellent, if not, oh well, tis cool.

Leah.


	9. Part 9

_**She dreams, part 9**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Something shaggy this way comes!

_**Disclaimer**_

I do not own a thing, damn!

Rated M for sexual content. Written in Australian and UK spelling and grammar.

Sue grumbles and flames will be mostly ignored or giggled

at. Please don't make me laugh, I'll hurt my ribs.

Dedicated to sour green apples and coffee.

_**Ariel and Corin's chambers**_

It was the princesses' third day in confinement and she felt awful. Because it was an impossibility for her to peel apart on her own, her tail had to remain open at all times, held apart by tiny silver hooks that had been inserted into the uncontaminated soft tissue.

The wound constantly reeked of pus, mushrooms and blood. Or pus, mushrooms blood and the detestable yellow healing salve her midwives smeared over the stinging flesh once every day.

The frequent lancing of the pustules, much to Ariel's displeasure, was becoming a protracted and painful process. The repetitive smearing of the malodorous, greasy ointment over the numerous tiny wounds that the lancing had left behind and the re-insertion of the hooks into her tail had not been to her liking either.

Ariel's only relief was when her midwives left her alone. She would talk to the child and study the tome Ragr had given to her.

The giant book had become increasingly interesting as her time in confinement went by. There was so much she had not known about Corin and his people and the way Ragr wrote about them with an objective, yet loving hand, intrigued her greatly.

The other empress, Kunama, whose name meant light, gave Ariel an eerie feeling of dislike.

Kunama was a luminous beauty with light gold hair, smooth white skin and yellow tentacles. The woman reminded Ariel of someone she knew yet she could not put her finger on which that person was.

Circa, was mysteriously disagreeable in Ariel's eyes as well. The emperor had similar colouring to his mate except his hair was black with subtle grey streaks and his tentacles were a mixture of violet and maroon.

Kunama and Circa had no children of their own. Not because they could not have any, but out of choice. The pair had flatly refused to conceive and were quoted saying that they would not put themselves through the agony of watching their own children die, that immortal Cecaelians who did choose to have children were selfish and cruel.

What had befallen the pair, the book did not explain. However, it did say that the queen had been close to Kunama and Circa before marrying into Corin's family.

Ariel shivered.

In the portrait, they seemed so … oily. Cold.

Why would she want to be friends with them? Had she been like them?

It was the sixth day of her lying in and everything ached, even her hair.

And to make matters worse … her baby was not resting for today she had begun to sprout its own tentacles.

Poor Ariel, she felt like her daughter's personal punching bag and When Cora and the sister's told her that this was a good thing, she had given them a look of pure horror.  
How in Poseidon's name could being kicked and pushed so often possibly be a good thing?

When the legs had finally developed into tentacles Cora told Ariel it would be easier since the fetus would have gotten used to the change by then.

"Will her fists turn into tentacles?" Ariel grouched at her.

Cora gave the woman's arm a sympathetic squeeze.

"At least you know she isn't kicking you deliberately," she told Ariel, trying to be helpful.

"Ha-ha!" Ariel grumbled then nodded to the sisters. "Ursula and Morgana seem to be happier about her kicking me then you and I put together," she told the empress ruefully.

"Oh, that just because this means the little one's strong," Ursula gushed, patting Ariel's hand. "Who knows, may be the Goddess has adopted her?"

Shellsa flinched.

Ariel frowned.

"Adopted?"

"Because there are so few guardians left, your child could be born an immortal," Cora explained, watching Shellsa carefully. "It's like a gift … in a manner of speaking."

"Just don't keep your hopes up. The Goddess doesn't bestow this 'Gift' on everyone," Morgana added loftily.

Shellsa glared at the woman.

"Shellsa," Cora warned.

"Don't be foolish, Morgana! The adoption isn't something one can take lightly!" she snapped ferociously. "To be a child of the Goddess means eternity of servitude to those who were not chosen, to those who need to feel protected and loved!"

"Hey, just because you're not all that happy about it doesn't mean the little lady here can't celebrate!" Morgana barked defensively, hands on her hips.

"Let's finish this later, shall we?" Cora asked breezily, hoping to dispel the argument. "Shellsa, we're nearly done, I think a cleansing bath and some food is in order, don't you?"

Shellsa offered the empress a dark look then leapt away from the clam, muttering angrily as she went.

"Well aint she just a bundle of chuckles," Morgana remarked/

"Morgana, just leave," Cora ordered icily. "Your presence is no longer required since you insist on being offensive. Your sister and I can handle the rest on our own."

"But-"

"I said leave."

Glaring at the empress, Morgana backed away from Ariel's tail.

"Fine," she hissed and was gone in a dramatic flourish of bubbles.

The witch and the empress continued on in silence. Once they had finished smearing the ointment over the infection, Cora asked Ariel to excuse them.

Grasping the younger Cecaelia by the arm, she took Ursula to one side, out of Ariel's hearing range.

"I would thank you and your sister to watch your words," Cora whispered savagely. "You know how this grieves Shellsa. She is not a toy for you and your witless sister to play with." The empress then looked to Ariel who was trying to decipher what was going on, adding with finality. "And neither is she."

Aghast, Ursula put a hand to her chest.

"I'm not playing games with either of them," she gasped. "I just want to give our little angel some good news. She's been sooo down in the dumps of late."

"If Ariel needs to be cheered up, you will not have the task of making her happy. That task belongs to her family and her betrothed. You are neither."

Ursula's blood ruby lips peeled backwards, exposing her shark like teeth.

Cora pointed toward the doorway.

"Go and calm Morgana down. I need you both focused tomorrow."

Ursula growled softly.

"Get out of my sight," Cora seethed. "You have no further business here, Ursula."

"I'm sorry about that," Cora apologised quietly when she and Ariel were alone. "Ursula and Morgana were out of line."

Ariel grimaced uncomfortably whilst Cora replaced the hooks into her tail.

"It doesn't matter," she mumbled. "Corin told me they won't be around for much longer."

"I'd like to believe that but the longer you are unwell the longer they stay. I'd love to induce the labour but you and the fetus are just too weak."

Cora sighed regrettably and set about making her friend comfortable.

"What do you know about Circa and Kunama?" Ariel asked softly.

"What does the book say?" Cora asked, covering the princess with a blanket of seal hide.

"That we were close."

Cora nodded.

"You were," she murmured. "But why the fascination?"

"They seem … I don't think I would have hung around with them."

Cora perched thoughtfully on the edge of the bed, thinking.

"Kunama and Circa were odd ones," she told Ariel. "Quiet, kept to themselves in their own realm. You lived with them before you came here. …" she shrugged. "The last time we ever saw them was during the war. We believe they were converted along with you since none of us saw them fall."

Ariel nodded.

"I see."

Cora smiled at her.

"Are you tired?" she asked Ariel. "You really should eat something. You are going to need eat and rest frequently if you're going to withstand the kicking and prodding."

The dowager princess nodded.

"I know," she answered softly. "I'm sooo excited about all the extra bumping around she's going to do in my belly."

Cora laughed.

"This is your last birth as a mer woman, you should cherish everything."

Ariel gave her a miserable look.

"Fine, fine. Cherish, I see is not a word you want to associate with this moment right now. Wait until you and Corin have children. It's completely different." She pointed at a space between the tentacles. "The eggs grow here then they pop out of a sucker, usually on the right side. And as they develop, they move lower and lower till they drop off the tip of tentacle then hatch, it usually takes three or six months, depends on how many eggs you are carrying."

"How many eggs come out?" Ariel asked fascinated.

"One or two. No more then that. The fetuses are sexless until the Cecaelia's choose. We usually consult with our mates then decide what we want to have. Orion and I have had had eight boys and four girls so far."

"I had a boy and a girl," Ariel told Cora mournfully.

The empress licked her lips.

"Yes," she replied unhappily. "You called them Baarj and Kali."

"I named my daughter after Kali the destroyer?" Ariel gasped, shocked.

Cora shrugged nonchalantly.

"You liked the name and you and Corin wanted a strong daughter."

Ariel looked down at her belly, touching it.

"My daughter is strong," she murmured, stroking the bump with her finger.

Cora nodded.

"She is. What are you going to call her?"

Ariel was silent, considering the question.

"I was going to call her Melody," she answered thoughtfully, "That was Eric's favourite word. But I don't think I will call her that now. It sounds too … It just wouldn't suit her."

Cora and Shellsa left an hour later to meet with the others in the presence chamber, thus leaving Ariel on her own.

Feeling too awake to sleep, too full to eat or drink, Ariel reached for Ragr's book again.

Resting it carefully against her belly, she began to read.

The well of souls.

Corin kept the souls of his people in a large, fathomless well; the picture of it reminded the mer woman of her grotto, minus the curiously glowing boxes containing the precious essences.

It said in the book that the royal family, their relations and loved ones shared the upper level of the well whilst the other Cecaelians were to be found on the lower half.

"I'm stuck here for eternity!" Ariel grouched on the tenth day, folding her arms across her chest and huffing resentfully.

"Never know, might be interesting, little queen."

The princess glanced over to her side watching Corin drift casually toward her, a lazy smirk spread across his striking face.

"What do you mean?' she asked suspiciously.

Corin didn't reply. He was too preoccupied with looking at her tail.

"If you've come here to snarl about how my tail looks like it's about to drop off, you can go away," she mumbled then patted her belly. "We're both tired."

Her soon to be husband gave a snort then moved until he was hovering over her, placing his hands on either sides her stomach.

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.

"Taking care of you," he replied huskily. "Be quiet and enjoy it."

The baby kicked her hard, Ariel winced.

"Stop kicking me!" she scolded breathlessly.

Corin smirked, amused.

"Giving you a hard time is she?" he asked.

"A bit," Ariel admitted. She grimaced her discomfit. "she's sprouting and isn't all that happy about it."

Corin nodded.

"We can't have her prodding you till you're black and blue," he told her softly. "Let me see if this …"

Eyes fixed on her stomach; Corin began to mutter under his breath. Ariel could not make out what he was saying, but it seemed as if he was attempting to speak to the infant.

The persistent kicking began to ebb into a dull nudging then faded to nothing.

Something nice and warm spread from the centre of Ariel's belly then all over, leaving the woman pleasantly numb.

"There we are," Corin said, stroking the bump. "She's relaxed now."

Ariel let her head fall back against the spongy bed pillows, closing her eyes and sighing gratefully.

"Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

She was so relieved her eyes began to droop. She barely noticed the seal hide being placed over her.

"it's fine," Corin said, watching Ariel pass out.

As soon as the princess was sound asleep, Corin kissed her cheek then left her alone.

When Ariel woke the following day, she felt so much better. The baby was still immobile and the numbing warmth in her belly had remained.

Wiping her hair from her eyes, the young woman sat up and looked about.

Beneath her, Flotsam and Jetsam were tightly circling the clam.

Corin's intended cringed at the sight of them then gulped down her apprehension.

Jetsam looked up.

"Princesss," he hissed at her in greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Ariel asked the morays. "Where are Corin and the others?"

"Businesss," both he and his companion replied.

"Oh."

The eels continued their … patrolling.

Ariel felt tempted to close the clam and go back to sleep but that would be … boring.

She was wide-awake now and not in pain. She felt the need for company. Preferably not from the oily kind.

'_Perhaps I can ask them to leave,'_ she thought.

"I'm fine … Now. You really don't have to stay," she told the eels.

"Corin'sss ordersss, Princesss."  
"But I'm-" She sighed. "Fine, stay."

Wanting a distraction from the twin morays, Ariel reached for her book. Lying back against the velvety cushions, she fumed as she flicked through the pages.

Death and reincarnation

After a Cecaelian died, the soul of that individual would remain in the host's body for approximately three days. Before the conclusion of the three days one had to create a magical reel, insert it into the chest of the Cecaelian, pull out the soul, put it into its container and then heal the body before finally injecting the spirit back into it.  
The whole thing sounded frightening. Oddly reminding the young princess of how Ursula had taken her voice away from her.

Ariel could recollect the moment perfectly.

The massive hot green hand holding her still whilst its twin cruelly ripped her voice from her throat, burning her mouth inside and out.

The witch looking on, feverishly licking her carnivorous teeth, eyes gleaming with voracity and triumph.

Ariel shuddered and, once again, put the book away.

"I really, really don't think I want to read anymore," she murmured.

"Ariel!"

Cora and Sorja were floating toward her, seemingly relatively animated.

"You get to have a day out of here," Cora told her friend happily. "Corin, Shellsa and Orion are busy so we're here to entertain you."

"But I'm in confinement," the young woman told them, confused. "I'm not really supposed to go outside of this chamber."

"Your tail's improving so you can have some gentle exercise every now and then," Sorja told her. "Just be realistic about it and have someone with you."

Ariel brightened.

"Where are we going?" she asked eagerly, heaving herself out of the bed with Sorja's help.

"The well of souls," Cora replied. "We were discussing it last night. We thought it would be good for you to see the actual thing rather then a drawing." She linked her arm with Ariel's. "No annoying sister's lancing you today."

_**The well of souls**_

'_It really is like my grotto,"_ Ariel thought, staring about her surroundings in awe.

"Everything is so bright," she exclaimed turning in a tight circle. "It's amazing."

"That's because of the immortality," Cora explained. "The normal Cecaelians don't glow as brightly unless they're adopted by the Goddess."

With Cora and Sorja's aid, Ariel swam to the top. When she found what she was looking for, she automatically looked at the empty space beside it.

"My box was there, wasn't it?" she asked.

The empress hesitated.

"Yes," Sorja answered for her. "The mer people raided the well and took your container."

"But you _are_ going to have a new one," Cora said putting a firm, loving hand on Ariel's arm. "That's a promise. The Goddess never abandons her children, Ariel."

Ariel licked her lips.

"There are names on the boxes," she whispered daren't to not reach out and touch one lest she were clumsy and dropped it.

"Every container is inscribed with the name of which the soul belongs to," Sorja explained.

"Who makes the boxes?" the princess asked curiously.

"The Goddess," Cora replied. "The moment one of our kind comes into the world, a box appears. Corin is given the name of the newborn and one of us checks to see if the child has been adopted by her or not."

"I see," Ariel replied. "And the preserved souls? Are they here too?"

"No, they're kept in a separate chamber with the bodies."

_**Ariel and Corin's chambers**_

When the siblings left her alone, Ariel found the intrigue to read more of Ragr's book. That and the child's unwillingness to settle compelled her to read more.

She was getting closer to the end of the tome. The entire legacy had been fascinating, disturbing and depressing all at the same time, but what had truly fascinated her most was the subject of adoption. She had to wonder … Would the Goddess want to adopt her daughter? The Goddess was not a predictable deity, the stories about the divine being reminded Ariel of her father's chosen God, Poseidon. Always mischievous. Her sister, Merjorca the aggressor, made Ariel's blood curdle. Apparently the Goddess's sibling was so invidious of her sister's augment to power she created an army of Cecaelians in hope to crush and supplant Vorlorna once and for all only to end up banished and dubbed "The forgotten Sister"

There were rumours that the forgotten one was assembling an army for a fresh assault. Corin had spent many weeks investigating the rumours and found nothing to suggest they were just mindless blether.

Still, it paid to be cautious.

"You're up late."

Ariel looked up from the large book to see Corin perched on the edge of the clam.

"It's an interesting book," she told him, setting it aside.

"You shouldn't strain yourself," he reminded gently.

"I'm not that delicate," Ariel grumbled. "In a few days I won't even need a poultice anymore, ask Cora."

"I may do so tomorrow. Right now it would please me if you were sleeping."

"I'll sleep when the baby sleeps," Ariel replied stubbornly.

Corin frowned.

"Are you feeling sickly?" he asked mildly on edge.

"No," Ariel answered him. She then ran her hand over her belly. "She's just restless again." The princess then winced, adding. "She doesn't seem to want to settle down. So I read and try to ignore her."

Corin nodded.

"I see,"

He settled neatly beside her on the sponge.

"Let me tend to the chit," he told her.

The baby bumped gently against his palm.

Corin smiled.

"I think she likes you," Ariel murmured watching him rub and stroke her distended abdomen.

Corin stopped in his task, looking at her.

"What about her mother?" he asked tentatively. "Does she like me?"

Ariel licked her lips.

"Yes," she replied with all the sincerity she could muster, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "Yes, I do like you. I do _want_ you, but I need time to learn how to _love_ you again." She paused. "Can you do that?" she asked him earnestly. "Can you give me time?"

The baby stopped moving all together.

Moving to sit beside her, Corin covered Ariel's small hands with his larger ones.

"I'll give you forever if you think it would help."

She beamed radiantly for him.

"Thank you."

He let go of her, tucking the fiery tresses behind her ear.

"It's getting late," he murmured, stroking his thumb along her cheek. "I should let you rest."

"This is your chamber," the dowager princess said plainly.

"Ours," he corrected.

"Well ..." she smiled shyly up at him. "Since it's ours … I think you should stay."

He arched an eyebrow.

"Stay?" he echoed.

She shrugged, nonchalantly.

"I think I'm safe with you. So yes. Stay with me, please."

He reached up, tapping the lid of the clam.

The lid came down slowly, cloaking both man and woman in darkness.

Ariel was quick to become rigid as his large warm hands enclosed over her small shoulders. She felt as if they were headed toward something other then sleeping.

Did she want this … she wasn't entirely sure.

"Shouldn't we wait till we're married?" she asked when feeling bold enough to speak without stuttering.

"We are already married," Corin reminded her huskily. "We just have to go through the official ceremonies again to welcome you back. Besides, I'm not going to put you through anything _too_ arduous. I will stop if you ask it of me."

He was right. They were technically still married and it was not as if she and he were doing something they had not done at least once prior to this evening.

'_But if he takes me now,'_ she thought.

If she allowed him carnal rights of her body, it would not be out of vengeance. Her need to be equal with Eric in the adultery department had been dealt with. She had told Corin that she wanted him that she wanted to know him, but she still could not determine whether her reasons were of love or desire. All she could comprehend was that she needed him in a way she had never done before and was prepared to offer him her body in order to nourish her strange yearning.

Ariel rolled over to face him.

"What _are_ you going to do to me?" she asked curiously.

Her bedfellow did not answer; instead he returned her to her previous position then began to unhurriedly massage her neck and shoulders.

Before she could stop herself, the princess sighed her gratification and leaned backward.

Her doubts of earlier gradually became a far-flung memory as she allowed herself the luxury of losing herself in his touch. She was so entranced; she only just heard the malleable rumble of his laughter behind her back.

A sweet, musky aroma filled her nostrils.

Almost deviously, Ariel rolled over, facing him again. He stared back at her, face wholly neutral apart from the flicker in his eyes that indicated that he knew what she was up to.

"Turn around," her betrothed whispered.

Taken aback and a little disappointed, Ariel bit her lip and obeyed.

Corin's willowy arms curled around her waist, stroking the fabric that hid her breasts and belly.

He pressed his rosy mouth against her neck.

She gasped and twitched.

He kissed her again, lingering this time, rubbing her swollen stomach with the flat of his palm.

Ariel's beautiful eyes grew wide. She felt her shift being torn into two. They grew wider still when the cloth concealing her breasts fell away and his hands closed over them, kneading into the skin.

She opened her mouth and whined softly, writhing as his ministrations grew stronger.

"Shhh," he soothed when she whimpered. "Relax into me, darling. Just relax."

"Easy," he murmured, stroking a cerise nipple. "Easy."

The musky scent grew a little stronger.

Corin snarled mentally and cursed himself for not being careful.

Before things could get out of control, his hands fell away from her breasts.

Amorously, Corin began to cocoon her. Whilst his arms and tentacles covered her small body, he licked and kissed her face.

"Sleep now, Little Queen," he told her and pressed his lips against her cheek, "You _are_ safe with me."

Ariel woke up enveloped securely in arms and black appendages and Corin sleeping soundly behind her, satiny lips touching her neck.

For a moment she remained still, enjoying the tranquil sound of breathing and solid warmth of the body coiled protectively around her own.

When was the last time she had felt this way?

Her lover sighed and nuzzled her neck.

She rolled around to face him, lightly resting her hands on his chest.

Lazily, he opened his eyes.

"What are you up to?" he asked good-naturedly.

She nonchalantly caressed his left nipple with her fingertip.

"Do we have to lift the lid?" Ariel asked in a tone that was both perfectly curious and innocuous.

He seemed to brood over her question.

"What do you have in mind?" he queried huskily.

The mer woman blatantly reached out and pinched his nipple.

Tightening his hold on her upper body, Corin growled mellifluously.

"Be careful," he reminded.

She ignored him and pinched the nipple again.

Corin was hopeless.

"Wench!" he hissed.

Aroused, Ariel's betrothed ardently nipped and nibbled along her neck, letting his hands roam leisurely over her broad back.

Tilting herself backwards, the red head panted, provocatively mocking him by keeping her face away from his own in order to prevent him from kissing her.

The game lasted till the male Cecaelians lust overrode his patience. Growling at her, Corin used his tentacles to push Ariel back to him, holding her in place.

Frustrated, Ariel twisted amidst her restraints, jerking her face away from him.

Corin hissed impatiently and caught her lower lip in his teeth.

A suddenly happy loser, she groaned, happily allowing his tongue to welter inside her mouth.

The tentacles loosened and the princess raised her hands, tangling her fingers in his thick dark hair.

This was what she wanted Ariel realised. This wasn't love. It wasn't scratching a vengeful itch. She was enjoying herself. She was having fun.

"You're mad!" Corin whispered between fierce lip sucking kisses. "How am I supposed to look after you when you behave like this?"

The princess laughed gaily.

"I'm sure you'll come up with something," she told him breathlessly.

He bound her with his tentacles again.

"There," he stated.

She huffed, wriggling.

Corin tightened his hold.

She glared up at him.

"Let me go!" she ordered.

"Ariel," he chastised her, trying not to laugh. "As infectious as your new found vibrancy is, I want you to rest. It was not too long ago when the child was depriving you of sleep."

The crimson maned angel stubbornly pouted at him.

Corin smirked.

"I see I have some convincing to do."

"You do," she agreed sourly. "I'm wide awake."

"Very well."

The appendages left her arms, winding loosely around her waist.

"I'm not tired," she insisted, squirming friskily. "I'm really not tired. You can't make me fall asleep, Corin."

Her intended kissed her forehead.

"We'll see," he said plainly and cupped her face in his hands.

"Sleep," he entreated softly. "The baby will be fine and I will be here when you wake."

Ariel felt her body go slack. Inertia was soon to follow.

Damn him for being right.

"You are tired," Corin said observantly in a voice that seemed very far away. "Go to sleep. You know you're safe with me."

The young woman's head drooped.

"Good girl," Corin praised soothingly. "That's it. Close your eyes."

Corin's tentacles slowly coiled around their upper bodies all the while being careful not to squeeze his intended or accidentally hurt her delicate tail.

Stroking Ariel with his large hands and other limbs, the Cecaelian ruler whispered in her ear, making the woman sink into an even deeper slumber that she had prior to their recent passion play.

Although he did not retain the same hypnotic power Ursula and the eels wielded, Corin was able to use his voice to lull the already spent princess into such a state one would have thought she had died in his arms.

The truth was, he didn't want her to dream. He didn't want her to simply sleep for a few hours then wake up weary and aching either.

The child's sprouting had made her confinement difficult for her. She needed time to get over it. And letting her indulge in her wicked little fancies had not been an entirely good idea either. Though the fornication had been little and she had shown no signs of discomfort, he knew he should have stopped her sooner.

Closing his eyes, Corin joined Ariel in her slumber, settling his hand on her belly.

Ariel woke much, much later in Corin's arms.

"Mmm, how long have I been out?" she asked, voice thick with sleep, rubbing at her eyes with her hands.

"Almost all day," he replied.

She blinked.

"I feel better."

Corin rubbed her stomach. Ariel soon joined him, watching their hands moved over the bump.

There was a faint push against their hand upon contact then nothing.

"How is she?" she asked Corin eventually.

"She's nearly finished sprouting," he told her frankly, "She will still be restless but not as often."

Ariel smiled, relieved.

"Good," she said.

Corin's hand slid from his intended's belly to reside on the side of her neck.

Ariel tilted her head to the left, shivering.

Bending his head, he began to lick at the small sexual injuries his teeth and tentacles had left behind.

"Mmm," the princess moaned, arching slightly then relaxing back into the tentacles.

"You really shouldn't have ruined my shift," Ariel complained, staring mournfully at the shards of ripped silk in her hands.

"I think you look fetching without it," Corin remarked indolently.

Ariel rolled her eyes.

"Conjure up a new one for me?" she asked sweetly.

Corin snorted.

"Conjure one up yourself, you doxy," he told her.

"I am not letting you open this lid until I'm holding a new shift in my hands, Corin."

Corin was caught between good humour and indignation. His lips twitched to give a retort.

He changed his mind.

"I'm not that clever," he revealed to her slyly.

She folded her arms across her chest, sighing.

"Not funny," she grumbled.

He rolled his eyes then bid her to sit up.

Corin covered his lover's breasts with the cloth she used to support them.

"Now can I open the lid?" he inquired, one dark eyebrow arched as he waited for her answer.

Ariel primly pursed her lips.

He growled at her.

She smirked impishly.

"You're wily," he accused.

"Mmmhmm," the woman agreed, lying back against the lush mattress.

He loomed over her, kissing her soundly on the mouth.

"Mmmph," she moaned, putting her arms around his neck.

The pair continued to kiss until-

"Ariel, are you awake?"

Gasping, Ariel broke the kiss.

"Gods!" she managed to whisper breathlessly, sitting up. "I forgot about Cora!"

Corin raised his hand to lift up the clam.

"What are you doing?" Ariel squeaked. "You can't be serious, she'll see you!"

"So?"

"She can't see us like this!"

Before Corin could give a response, the lid of the massive clam began to rise.

"Oh!" a surprised Cora exclaimed upon seeing them. "Had I known what my brother was up to I would have left you alone a bit longer, Ariel."

Blushing deeply, the young woman buried her face in Corin's chest.

"Corin, I need to see her," Cora reminded balefully.

The Cecaelian ruler snorted and cradled his betrothed's head in his hands,

tilting it up, he lazily kissed her mouth, ignoring his sibling's disgusted mutterings.

When releasing her lips, he tenderly stroked Ariel's face, pulling the seal hide over her.

"Thank you," the empress grouched.

Rolling his eyes, Corin playfully tweaked her nose.

"Rest. I'll see you later," he promised Ariel and was gone.

"Can you bring me a shift?" Ariel asked Cora pleadingly and then gestured to a heap of silk beside her. "Your brother ruined mine."

Cora cleared her throat.

"Hrrmm, yes, he most certainly did. I didn't know you two were … Well, it's nice to see that you're not trying to pulverise him anymore, it took me awhile to fix his nose after you broke it."

"Sorry," Ariel mumbled guiltily.

"It was partially my fault as well. I was busy, I didn't realise Ursula had managed to slip away. She should not have been left alone with you."

Cora glided over to Ariel's coffer, picking out a turquoise shift.

"Sit up and lift up your arms," she instructed.

Ariel readily obeyed, saying nothing as the empress unwound the cloth then began to wrap it around her breasts.

"You are bruised," Cora murmured, frowning disapprovingly at the measureless colourful bruises glazing over Ariel's supple neck, chest and arms. "I'll have to tell Corin to be careful with you next time."

"He didn't do anything I didn't want him to do. We're both fine, Cora."

Cora reached for the shift, easing it over the mer woman's swollen belly, that being done; she slid behind Ariel again, gathering the princess's hair, brushing the tangles out before twisting the silky tresses into tiny intricate braids.

The pair sat in silence for a long time, content to listen to the soft whoosh of bubbles.

"Yoo hoo! Princess! Be with you in a moment!"

Ariel wanted to crawl under a rock.

Not again.

"Again? Really?" she asked her friend miserably.

The other woman laughed.

"Get ready to be poked and prodded all over again, Ariel."

Ariel groaned.

She could almost feel the thin blade puncturing the yellow, swollen pustules.

"How is the book going?" Cora asked wanting to change the subject.

"To be honest. I've still enjoyed it so far," the woman admitted. "But … some of the things … It's strange. It says I was with Sorja before marrying Corin."

Cora's forehead crinkled with mirth.

"Oh yes!" she said brightly. "That was actually rather funny. I thought at one stage you were going to drive Corin both mad. He was determined to steal you from Sorja but you wouldn't have it."

"Did I cheat on Sorja?" Ariel asked worriedly.

"No … He decided to let you go, Ariel. Sorja genuinely wanted to be with you but he told me he couldn't see himself being your mate forever, and that was what you wanted. You wanted forever."

"What was I like back then?" she asked.

"You were mostly as you are now. But more … You could be resourceful when you had to be and you liked to fight and be fought over. You liked to have fun and when I say fun, I do mean it in a carnal way. When you came here, you let Sorja take liberties but not your virginity. I think if he had taken that you would have certainly wanted to become his mate."

Ariel leaned against a rock, the stone hard coolness felt pleasant against her warm, bruised skin.

"You wanted a soul mate to love. Not someone for fornication. You were growing out of that. That's what made Sorja realise you and he weren't exactly soul mates."

"And my soul mate is Corin?" Ariel asked softly.

"Yes."

"What was he like before I died?"

The empress paused, deep in thought.

"Similar to what he is now but less melancholy."

'Time has changed us all,' Cora thought.

She paused, mind on her precious Nina.

The empress could never forget the grief and agony in her daughter's eyes as she struggled to recover from her ordeal and when she had told her and Orion that she had wanted to die, Cora swore her heart had shattered.

"We're all carrying scars, Ariel," she added wearily. "I don't think any of us will ever heal completely."

After Cora and the sisters had made yet another unwanted examination Ariel took the time she had to herself to think.

Lust could lead to love.

She was beginning to feel that in time, her heart could go to Corin.

If she were to allow herself to love Corin, it could not be because everyone expected her to do so. The woman who had been his wife was dead. She had died long ago, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not recollect all of the memories of the dead Cecaelia queen.

Thinking no one would notice, Ariel reached under her shift, stroking a wrinkled nipple with her thumb until the flesh rose and stiffened from the erection.

"Starting without me?"

Surprised, Ariel swiftly ripped her hand from under the cloth and looked up at him, blushing hard.

"I told you I would see you later, Little Queen," Corin reminded her lightly.

The dowager princess felt the colour rise even higher in her cheeks.

"I thought you weren't serious," she told him nervously. "I didn't want to-"

"Shh," her lover soothed.

He was wrapping himself around her within moments. Ariel instantaneously responded to this by curling her fingers into his dark hair and breathing in the sweet scent his beautiful body emitted.

"I'll come to you," Corin told her, cradling her face in his large hands. "When I tell you that I will come to you, I mean it."

He leaned back.

"I have something for you," he told her.

She arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

"A present?"

Aside from her betrothal jewellery, he had never given her gifts.

He shrugged lightly.

"It could be considered a gift," he told her. "Wait there."

Carefully unravelling her, Corin leapt away from the clam, darting out of their chambers, returning moments later with a green bottle with steam rising from the top.

Ariel gave him a sceptical look.

"What is that?" she asked, frowning at the presented bottle.

There was a wicked gleam in Corin's blue/grey eyes.

"Nothing sinister. Take off your shift; we don't want to ruin this one."

She licked her lips.

"It's just wine."

Realising what he was up to, Ariel heaved her body upward.

"No one will see?" she asked.

"No one will see."

Ariel felt her stomach become warm with arousal.

She squirmed slightly.

"Alright," she told him.

She tugged the silk shift from her body then eased the bindings from her breasts. Setting the articles of clothing aside, she lowered herself then lay back, naked as a babe, on the mattress, eagerly waiting to see what her betrothed had planned for them.

Being ever so careful, Corin hovered over her, kissing her softly on the mouth. Pulling away, he pulled the stopper from the bottle and dribbled it liberally over her neck, breasts and belly. Setting the bottle aside, he resumed his previous position.

His tongue brushed lazily over her rising and falling Adam's apple then slithered down to her chest, lapping at the liquid he had spilt.

Ariel groaned.

Corin took a creased nipple into his mouth and gently began to suckle.

The red head gasped sharply. Her eyes widened. She had to hold onto him in order to steady herself. Her breathing switched from shallow rasping to a deep panting accompanied by the occasional whimper.

Growling low in his throat, Corin opened his mouth and bit into her yielding breast. His prey gave an alarmed cry and scratched down his back with her fingernails, drawing blood.

Her lover responded to this by wolfishly biting deeper into the pale soft tissue, hence tasting the blood that welled up in the aftermath.

After sucking the last remnants of the wine and blood off her breast, Corin gently pulled the young woman on top of him.

"Your turn," he told her huskily. "Just take your time."

Having caught her breath, Ariel reached for the bottle, repeating the same actions.

Being careful with her stomach and tail, she ran her tongue freely over Corin's useless teats, teasing them until they became erect, tasting the sweetness of the wine.

Corin reached up, stroking her hair from her face.

"Good girl," he praised "Good girl."

Kissing down his chest, the dowager princess bid farewell to his nipples and began to travel lower and lower until reaching his belly button.

She plunged her tongue straight into it.

Corin cried out.

"Goddess!" he panted. "Are you trying to kill me?"

She giggled, pleasurably swirled her pink tongue in torpid circles.

"Goddess," Corin croaked. "Goddess, you are perfect."

A tear seeped down his cheek.

'_She's mine again,'_ he realised. '_She is my Ariel,'_

The princess was tiring now, her sweaty body strained with effort as she fought to keep her weariness under control.

Corin was having none of it.

Holding her snugly to his chest, he moved off their bed and proceeded to carry her out of their chambers.

"Where are we going?" Ariel asked tiredly.

Corin pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Shh," he murmured. "You'll see in a moment."

_**The rock pools.**_

Sitting behind the woman, Corin began to wash her body of the sweat, blood and wine.

The princess was barely awake during her cleansing. She made the intermittent noise to connote that she was still in the land of the living whilst he bathed her, but was utterly oblivious most of the time, therefore Corin had to be extra vigilant lest she smack her head on a rock and drown.

In total silence, he rinsed away the black blood from underneath her finger nails then moved on to wash her hair, massaging the scalp gently yet firmly whilst she remained floating and quiescent.

Carefully, he eased her out of the pool. Letting her lean against him, he combed the tangles out of her hair with his fingers then healed the bite mark he had left on her breast.

"Feel better now?" he asked pushing her damp hair behind an ear

"Mmm," she moaned woozily. "Yes."

He kissed her gently.

"Come on," he murmured, scooping her up. "I'll take you back to bed."

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

She was sound asleep by the time they had entered their chambers.

After pulling on her shift, he closed the clam lid over them then lay down beside her, cocooning his betrothed with his arms and tentacles, whispering in her ear and stroking her hair.

She whined softly and pushed her nose against his chest.

The tentacles covering her from nearly head to tail rubbed her reassuringly.

She did not stir again.

The baby bumped lightly against his palm. Corin smiled and soothingly patted Ariel's stomach with his hand.

"Not long now," he said to the child.

There was another nudge.

Corin smiled again.

"Yes … I love her too," he replied.

_**A dream**_

"They betrayed us," the queen moaned into her hands. "Oh Goddess, oh! Oh! Oh!"

"Who?" Ariel cried. "Who was it? Tell me!"

The Cecaelia monarch shook her head dejectedly.

"It's already too late!" she wailed. "We are going to die! We've been betrayed! They said they loved us but they've changed their minds! We are going to die again!"

"No, he won't let that happen!" Ariel protested. "He loves us!"

"Love isn't enough. You of all people should know that!" the queen snapped, watery beads of sorrow gliding down her pale cheeks. "They want us out of the way! We've lost too much already!"

Ariel shook her head.

"I can't believe that," she whispered. "I won't! Whomever it is we're fighting can be stopped. Tell me who it is and we might stand a chance!"

The queen stopped weeping and rose to her full height, although incredibly shaken; she was still an intoxicatingly beautiful woman.

"They are close," she told Ariel, voice grave. "Where once was acceptance, greed and disloyalty dwells. Where once was admiration, jealously has taken over."

Ariel shivered.

The queen nodded.

"You know of whom I speak," she whispered.

_**End of dream**_

_**End of part 9**_

_**Authors note**_

And so ends part 9! Will Ariel survive? Will Ursula and Morgana have their comeuppance?

Also, I am looking for someone who can make artwork for this story. Signatures sized 500 X 200, wallpapers and avvies.

If you are over 17 and can draw the characters or you are good at manipulation, let me know and I'll tell you what kind of designs I am looking for.

PS, if I should post the artwork anywhere I promise to credit you.

_**Review replies**_

werevampluvr-Really LOVE your story! It made my day after an awful day of state testing :)  
so thanks

vAMPkIMI-ooooo i want a chocolate biscuit! :) and this chapter was just full of  
surprises. and that ursula needs to go down! :O lol and this was a nice bonus.  
i got to read three of these chapters in one day! :D

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it

closetbookworm-i love this story so much! Can't wait for Ariel and Eric's reunion! Update soon..

Hey there! Hope you had fun reading the latest chappies.


	10. Part 10

_**She dreams, part ten**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Ursula and Morgana are still plotting to supplant Ariel and Cora is waiting for the chance to destroy the sisters once and for all.

_**Disclaimer**_

Bollicks and Bugger, I don't own a thing!

Dedicated to my doggies. French chocolate. World peace, and people who love whales and are against whaling.

Rated M for unsolicited sexual content and fairly strong consented sexual content and so forth.

Written in Australian and UK English. All flames and Sue grumbles will be ignored or, if I'm in the mood to do so, giggled at.

On with the chappie!

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

After an extensive bout of coughing, Ariel sagged back into the bed.

"I don't understand this," the empress murmured, wiping saliva and vomit from Ariel's mouth. "You were doing fine a few days ago. Something's definitely wrong."

"It's just a slight fever," the mer woman mumbled woozily. "I'm alright."

"You shouldn't have a fever of any kind. We've been monitoring you for weeks!" Cora snapped. "You shouldn't even have any infection left!"

Distraught, she raked a hand through her hair.

"Ursula, Morgana, make a stronger potion," she stated hoarsely. "If that doesn't work we'll have to burn the infection out before it irreversibly harms her and the child."

The witches nodded and left.

"The shield," Ariel croaked feebly.

"Ariel, the shields I make can only last so long," Shellsa explained regretfully. "The infection has spread up from your tail into your upper body. I have to change it on a regular basis now and that's disturbing the development of the child."

Cora sat beside her friend, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"If she doesn't change the shield often enough, the contagion could kill the baby," she told Ariel softly. "So you have to fight this. You have to fight as hard as you can."

_**Cecaelian realm, a hallway**_

Cora crouched down till she was on a face level with Flotsam and Jetsam.

"Now," she murmured. "You have something to tell me, yes?" she asked.

Jetsam blinked.

"Don't be shy," the empress cooed, batting her eyelashes. "Just tell me everything you know."

Later, the woman leaned against a wall, face pale with dread.

"Sorja," she croaked. "Sorja."

This was far worse then she could have ever imagined.

_**Ursula and Morgana's chambers**_

"Gimme five, sis!" Ursula requested gleefully, holding her palm up for her sister to smack.

"It's working," Morgana squeaked excitedly. "I can't believe it! It's working!"

"Soon that little mermaid will be dead as a door nail," Ursula added confidently. "And then Corin and her child will be mine and we will rise from the ranga's ashes."

Morgana giggled, clapping her hands.

"We'll be sooo-"

"Powerful," Ursula finished. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Yesssssssssssssssss," she purred wantonly. "I can almost smell it."

"Empress Morgana," Ursula's sister whispered, eyes glowing with desire. "Oh I feel amazing!"

_**Ariel and Corin's chambers**_

"How are you feeling?"

Ariel looked from over her shoulder to see Corin approaching.

"I'm fine," she answered softly.

Her betrothed gave her an assessing look then scowled.

"Liar," he growled.

He leapt neatly onto the clam, perching by her tail.

"You're getting worse," he muttered, eyes scanning the stomach-churning mess that was her tail.

"The baby is fine," Ariel promised, grimacing uncomfortably as she tried to sit up. "Shellsa put in a new shield not so long ago. We-"

"Stuff the baby, look at yourself!" Corin snapped at her. "You're dying!" His expression quickly softened when he saw Ariel cringe sharply from his words.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, instantly contrite. "I can't stand this torture."

She tried to shrug to show that she was indifferent.

"Apology accepted," she mumbled wearily. "I understand."

"No, you don't understand," Corin contradicted with aggravation. "You cannot understand. Ariel … If you die I will not be able to save you. I will not see you for what might be centuries. Poseidon does not welcome our kind into his haven."

He moved till he was beside her and grasped her face in his hands.

"I want you to live," he whispered fiercely. "I _need_ you to live."

Ariel was about to reply when Corin, without any warning, stiffened all over.

"What is it?' Ariel asked, on edge. "What's happened?"

Like a wolf, his lips slowly peeled back to expose his white teeth and then a terrible rumbling noise came out of his mouth, gradually turning into a guttural, savage snarl.

"Corin?" Ariel demanded, yanking her face out of his grasp. "What is it?"

"Ursula and her little sister." Corin spat bristling with anger.

"What?" the princess cried, "What did they do?"

Corin glared at her; there was so much rage in his eyes Ariel recoiled from him again.

"Not their obligation to you that's for certain," he answered severely.

"What have they done?" she whispered. "Is it really that bad?"

Corin shook his head and reached for her, grateful she did not pull away this time.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, grief stricken, into the princess's hair. "I am so sorry."

As she watched the black and blue tentacles insulate around them, Ariel felt a sickening sensation of impending kismet develop little by little in her belly.

She pressed her cheek against Corin's chest, shivering as his hands and other limbs settled on her bare skin and began to caress her all over.

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

"Poison?" Orion asked Corin and Ariel, frowning his confusion. "You are certain."

"Positive," confirmed Sorja, appearing with Flotsam and Jetsam. "Thanks to these two we've got proof. They were with the sisters when the idea came to life."

"What was the plan?" Ariel asked.

Cora licked her lips, hesitating.

"Tell her," Corin ordered.

"Brother-"

"Tell her."

"They wanted to supplant you," the empress revealed as carefully as she could. "Raise the child as their own with Corin by their side. The rest of us would be their play things or culled off."

Ariel could scarcely believe what she was hearing.

Ursula and Morgana raising her baby, ensnaring Corin, possibly raping and killing the others.

No, no, no.

"You wouldn't let them," she whispered, face ashen. "Please tell me you wouldn't have let them!"

"They figured that." Sorja told her sagely. "Notice how you've been improving then getting sicker and vice versa? They were hoping Corin would eventually pull away from you."

"Well, we have the upper hand now," Orion said confidently. "That counts for something, doesn't it?"

"Ariel is dying now as we speak, my love," Cora muttered darkly. "Had we acted sooner we could have saved her by cutting off the tail."

Ariel flinched.

"You could still do that though?" Corin asked, fear etched into his voice. "Surely-"

"She will not survive that," Cora told him out right. "They were feeding the contagion right under our very noses. It's not in her tail anymore, it is in her bloodstream. Ariel's body isn't strong enough, neither is the fetus. The babe needs at least another three weeks before it can be taken out of the womb. if we try to take it out now the stress may kill them both."

Ariel felt a giant sob build up inside her throat. She covered her face with her hands, sagging feebly against Corin's barrier of tentacles and began to weep.

"You could make an incision on her arm," Sorja suggested to his sister. "Prepare a second poultice, apply it periodically. It should buy them three weeks by drawing out some of the evils and re-balancing her humours."

Cora stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"It might work," she murmured. "That's a very good idea, Sorja."

"Well, let's get to it then."

Cora clapped Corin on the arm and sped off.

Sighing wearily, the ruler turned to his betrothed. The previous hysteria had driven the terrified woman into such a state she was now sleeping amidst his appendages.

Ariel did not make a single noise when he hugged her. Her body was completely lissom and dormant.

"They are going to pay for this," he seethed whilst clutching the red haired angel possessively to him. "I swear to you, they will pay."

"Have you found them?" Corin asked folding his arms across his chest.

"They're waiting in the presence chamber," replied Shellsa. "They have no idea of what's going on," she beamed triumphantly. "They haven't even realised I've bound their powers!"

"Well done," he praised.

"What's going to happen to them?" Ariel asked, her doe like eyes full of worry.

"They're going to get what they deserve," Corin told her evenly.

"At least give them a chance to speak," his intended pleaded. "You can't just execute them right away! You've got to-"

"What would you have us do?" Corin asked her incredulously. "Let it be?"

"No … just don't kill them. Death won't be enough."

Sorja's boyish face suddenly brightened with intrigue.

"An idea?" he asked her.

"I do have one," Ariel told the emperor, "But I want to hear them speak before I can tell any of you about it."

Corin bridled at this.

"You are not going anywhere near-"

"Oh yes I am!" Ariel insisted hotly, glaring up at him. "I don't care what you think. I am going to be by your side when you leave this room whether you like it or not!"

Corin's lips peeled back into a forewarning snarl.

Not to be put off, Ariel simply curved up one eyebrow, stubbornly folding her arms across her chest.

Sorja did nothing to hide his pleasure at seeing his elder brother being bossed around by a woman whilst Cora put a hand into her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle. Her pet snakes betrayed her, hissing their amusement.

Glaring a caveat at his siblings, Corin swiftly turned to Ariel, giving her a look of severe annoyance.

"Wench!" he growled at her.

Ariel shrugged.

"Fine … You may attend," he allowed gruffly. "But you do not speak unless spoken to or to say that you wish to return to our chambers. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly."

"Let's get this over with then," Sorja suggested.

He left with Shellsa and Cora.

Ariel lay back against her wall of cushions, exhausted.

"Give me a moment," she breathed.

Corin nodded. He was smart enough to know she would never forgive him if he left her.

"Just close your eyes for a while," he told her. "I'll wake you."

"Do I send for the rest of the guard?" Orion asked quietly, looking to Corin. "She's very weak, Corin."

"No. We do this quietly," the Cecaelian monarch murmured, knowing Orion was too afraid to ask aloud.

What if the witches attacked the dying princess? With so few to defend her, wouldn't she be easy prey?

The alpha Cecaelian finished covering his betrothed with the seal hide then eased her fringe out of her eyes.

"The fewer in attendance the better," Corin continued coolly. "If we spook them we could lose everything."

"Cora believes they've sided with Merjorca. Do you think that's possible?"

"After learning what I have today, I think anything is possible, Orion," Corin replied grimly still watching Ariel. "We have to get rid of the sisters permanently or Merjorca may try to use their abilities for her war against the Goddess."

"Or worse, adopt them."

"Pray that never happens," Corin muttered harshly.

"Do you really believe that Merjorca will rise up from exile?"

"Only a fool will believe otherwise," Corin murmured.

_**Corin and Ariel's presence chamber**_

Corin guided Ariel to her throne.

"Take a look at my betrothed," he ordered the sisters when having taken his place beside her.

Thinking nothing of it, Ursula and Morgana obeyed.

"She's getting worse," the Cecaelian added icily.

Puzzled, Ursula stared at her master for a long time before speaking.

"You are certain?"

Corin nodded slowly.

"The infection has spread. My betrothed is dying."

Ursula put a hand over her heart.

"Corin, I am _so_ sorry," she gushed. "She obviously is not as strong as we hoped. I-"

"This potion of yours was supposed to protect them both!" the ruler thundered, cutting her off. "You assured us all that they would be safe!"

"It's protecting the fetus!" Ursula argued hotly. "Isn't that important?"

"You were supposed to save them both, witch!" snapped Sorja, floating beside his brother. "Don't forget who you are speaking to."

Ursula, realising it would be foolish to attempt to quarrel any further, slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"We will make another potion," she said, fighting to keep the volcanic fury out of her voice. "A stronger potion."

"Don't bother," Corin told her stiffly. "We've decided on a new course of action. Your services are no longer required."

"What?" the witches exploded in unison.

"And neither is your presence," added Sorja smugly.

Cora smiled victoriously.

"We're the only ones who know how to protect this baby!" Ursula insisted passionately, refusing to believe what she was hearing.

"You are also the only ones who would dare poison my mate!" Corin bellowed ferociously.

The Cecaelia flinched.

"Oh don't look so surprised you stupid woman!" Cora sneered scornfully. "You've been found out!"

"No," Morgana whimpered brokenly. "No, no!"

Ursula stared at them all, her stunning face snow white and gaping.

"H-how?" she managed to stammer.

"You'll find out when we're ready," Orion promised.

Corin rose from his throne, taking Ariel with him.

"We have a punishment or two to discuss," he told the others. "Shall we?"

"Hmm, let's," Cora agreed amiably, linking her arm with her mate. "Ta, ta, my dears!" she called from over her shoulder.

Before the witches could cry out their protest, guards appeared from all sides, seizing their arms and tentacles.

"Come with us," one of the burly men requested gravely.

"Are we ready?" Corin asked.

The Cecaelian's behind him nodded.

He looked to Ariel floating beside him, her arm linked with his.

"And you?" he asked her. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

The mer woman nodded mutely, staring straight ahead.

Corin tilted his head heavenwards and sighed.

"Bring them back then," he murmured.

"Before we commence with the formalities, I suppose you two want to know who dobbed you in?" Sorja asked the sisters jovially. "Believe me; they were delighted to do it."

"Who was it?" Morgana asked nervously.

When Flotsam and Jetsam casually floated into the chamber Ursula thought little of their presence till Cora placed a kiss on each of their snouts.

"Traitors?" the witch whispered, mortified. "Trai-Traitors …Traitors! You good for nothing traitors!"

The eels snickered back at her.

"They just didn't want to be on the losing side," Sorja taunted mischievously.

"And will remain under our protection," Corin added. "They've proven their loyalty."

"My loyalty has never withered!" Ursula screamed.

"Nor mine!" Morgana cried.

"That is not true and you know it!" Sorja cut off angrily. "Gradually killing the dowager princess, taking her place on the throne. Claiming her daughter. Murdering Triton." he gave the Cecaelia's a look of the purest abhorrence. "You are foul."

"What?" Ursula barked. "Flotsam and Jetsam told you all this?"

"That's not true at all!" Morgana shrieked hysterically.

"We found the potion, sisters. We are all aware of your real thoughts," Corin told them. "You should have treaded more carefully."

"Bastards!" Ursula hollered. "Cretins! Infidels! Traitors!"

Morgana began to scream and struggle.

"Squirm all you like. You will be severely punished for your crimes against us," Cora promised darkly then smiled arrogantly at Ursula. "Life is sweet when wrongs are put right, isn't it?"

Seething with rage, Ursula's body began to swell. As she grew, black liquid seeped from her tentacles.

Frightened, Ariel shrunk back in her chair.

Corin exasperatedly rolled his eyes.

"Always so stubborn," he muttered wryly. "Enough of the dramatics."

The guards grabbed hold of the witches' tentacles, holding the women still.

Satisfied, Corin nodded to his brother.

"Tell them about punishment number one?" he asked.

"Th-there's going to be m-more then one punishment?" Morgana whimpered into her knuckles. "Goddess help us!"

"I don't think the Goddess would want to help those who plotted to kill her favourite child, Morgana," Shellsa hissed dangerously. "Or were you hoping she'd adopt you?"

"She adopted you, ginger!" Morgana snapped.

"Maybe because she knew I wasn't a backstabbing whore."

"Enough!" Cora commanded. "We've tarried here long enough. Shellsa, do it now."

With a look of grim determination on her angelic face, Sorja's mate hurled a glowing turquoise ball at the sisters.

"No!" Morgana wailed miserably as the lustrous ball turned into a seemingly claustrophobic enclosure. "No! No! No!"

"Oh, shut up!" Ursula snapped at her sister. "Bawling won't help you."

Satisfied, Shellsa swam over to wait beside Sorja.

"Make em ugly," she whispered to Cora as she floated past.

The empress smirked.

Closing her eyes, she began mutter. Rapidly, the sister's bodies began to change, to age.

Ursula became the fat crone Ariel had always feared whilst Morgana speedily returned to her wart ridden, skinny self.

The witches stared at their appearances in abject horror.

"That was Ariel's idea," Shellsa informed happily.

"The rest are hers as well," Sorja added. "Just need some fine tuning but we're sure you'll enjoy them, ladies."

Ursula slowly raised her head, fixing her oily gaze on Ariel.

"Pretty soon you are going to wish you _were_ dead, angel fish," she purred at the royal. "That's a promise."

Leaning athwart, Corin put a protective arm around Ariel's shoulders.

"Leave her alone," he warned.

Cora, Orion, Shellsa and Sorja moved in front of the pair, acting as shields.

"Nothing can save you now, little princess," the witch continued gloatingly. "They'll save your dear infant and leave you to rot. They know they can't possibly save the two of you. You're just too fragile."

"No," Ariel breathed.

"Silence!" Sorja barked.

"And then Corin will come crawling back to me," Ursula cackled. "See you in the afterlife, Precious! Oh ... Wait a minute! I won't! You're still a mer woman!"

"Get them out of here!" roared Corin tightening his grip on his betrothed.

The guards were quick to obey. It was not long before the sisters and their cage vanished, leaving only a spray of bubbles in their wake.

Swiftly, Corin swept Ariel off her throne carrying her back to their chambers, Sorja and Cora right behind them.

"Me or the baby," Ariel whispered, white cheek pressed against Corin's chest. "That's the choice."

"It won't come to that," Corin promised. "I won't let it."

He carefully lowered her onto the bed. Hovering over her, he wiped the red tangles from her eyes.

"Corin …."  
"Sorja, just give me a moment!" Corin snapped, irate. "I'm trying to think!"

"What is it?" Ariel asked nervously looking searchingly from her betrothed to his brother.

"We need to figure out a way to keep the two of you alive," Cora explained. "Sorja's nerves are just getting the better of him," she added giving her sibling a sour look.

Fingers entwined in Ariel's hair, Corin bowed his head, breathing deeply, his eyes closed.

Ariel trembled.

"Corin?"

"It will be fine," he whispered almost to himself. "They will not get away with this."

Cora turned to Shellsa.

"We need to brainstorm," she told her friend softly. "Go and prepare a shield for the baby then meet with Sorja in the war room. Orion and I need to speak with Morgana."

Shellsa nodded briskly.

"Understood."

_**The war room**_

"We could put her into a healthy body," Sorja suggested.

"What? Kill one of our own?" Shellsa demanded, disgusted.

"This is Ariel we're talking about. A lot of people would gladly die for her," the emperor pointed out.

"I think that's barbaric, Sorja," Shellsa snapped. "Barbaric and fanatical."

"Well what else do you suggest we do? We're running out of time."

"Morgana divulged what they used to accelerate the infection," Orion announced, floating toward them, Cora by his side. "She cracked pretty quickly."

"What … You tortured her?" Shellsa asked, paling.

"Only a little. Just gave her a few rounds with the electric eels," Orion explained casually.

"First Sorja suggests that we kill one of our own people so that Ariel can inhabit their body. Now we're torturing again, this is not acceptable!" Shellsa cried angrily. "We're acting like them, don't you see?"

Sorja put an arm around his mate to console her but she was quick to shrug him off.

"Don't you dare tell me that what we're doing is alright!" Shellsa snarled at them. "I know we are better then this."

Cora folded her arms across her chest.

"What's done is done, Shellsa," she told the woman. "We can't turn back time."

"We know now that we can reverse the damage," Orion added, hoping that the information would calm the red head down.

"Ariel has precious little time left," Cora put in, determined to be realistic. Her heart is getting weaker."

"Why not just kill the fetus? Surely she'll be able to have other children once her body has changed?" Sorja asked. "Doesn't Ariel stand a better chance if we only have to concentrate on one rather then two."

"Yes, but the difficulty would be convincing her and Corin," his sister explained. "Ariel has become so attached to this child the idea of giving up would destroy her."

"But Corin-"

"He wants what she wants, Sorja," Shellsa reminded.

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

"What is it?" Corin asked as Cora entered the chamber.

His sister briefly glanced at Ariel before speaking.

"I need to speak to you both," she said gravely. "I need you to be calm."

Ariel straightened herself.

"I'm listening," she murmured.

Corin stiffened.

"Orion and I have been ... Talking with Morgana. The eel's information about the poison was accurate. She and Ursula did create a toxin to inevitably help the infection kill you but keep the baby intact. It would infect your bloodstream, organs thus stopping your heart all together while the fetus remained sustained and safe from harm inside the shield."

"Why couldn't it penetrate the shield?" Corin asked, frowning.

"Not strong enough," Cora replied. "It only had one target, not two."

She looked to Ariel.

The princess felt a deep chill go down her spine.

"What are you trying to say, Cora?" she whispered, uneasy. "Don't spare me any details. Just say what you have to say."

Cora licked her lips.

"I'm saying that we believe it is more then possible to save you by changing you into one of us but only if you willingly give up the baby. Your body is already too weak. I honestly don't believe it can withstand stress from both a labour and transformation. If we terminated the fetus now then changed you, you would stand a much better chance of surviving."

Ariel bowed her head.

"I see," she murmured.

The monarch shook his head.

"That's not what she wants and you know it," he protested angrily. "There has to be another way to keep both her and the fetus alive."

The empress gnawed thoughtfully on her lower lip.

"I can brainstorm with the others again. We'll see what we come up with … I can't promise anything."

_**The presence chamber**_

Corin and Ariel waited for the sister's to be brought into the chamber yet again.

Ill at ease, the princess fidgeted with her betrothal necklace as she waited beside her intended.

Corin was still not altogether pleased with his sister's current answer to their problem, yet he managed to keep hold of his anger. The princess was glad for that small mercy; she doubted she could handle a conniption on Corin's part right now.

"They're coming now," Corin murmured to her, observing her fidgeting.

Ariel gulped and nodded.

He reached for her hand, squeezing it.

"It's alright," he told her softly. "They cannot hurt you."

She nodded again.

"I know," she answered.

The glimmering cages appeared before them. The witches looked up at their audience with stony eyes. Ariel had half expected either of them to be in a rage; however, they were still and silent.

Morgana, Ariel recently learnt, had been subjected to torture. She seemed the worst off of the pair. Her eyes were red rimmed. Her body was covered in red welts. Her white, grey and purple hair was in vast disarray.

Ursula, on the other hand, was calm. Her slimy eyes lethargically floated from one individual to another, never lingering, just wondering.

"Ursula and Morgana," Sorja addressed sombrely. "For attempted murder and sedition, the remainder of your final punishment will be severe."

"Thought as much," Ursula grumbled to Morgana. "These people are never dull."

"It has been decided by the princess that you are to be stripped of your powers then taken to the surface before the rise of the next full moon. There you live as human women."

"We-We get to live?" Morgana stammered, disbelievingly.

"By request of the princess we are letting you live."

"Awww … Ariel's just such a softie," Ursula leered. "Lil sweet cakes here's gonna make a swell queen!"

Cora barred her teeth.

"Shut your mouth!" she spat acidly, tentacles bristling.

"And when we die?" Ursula asked, ignoring the empress.

"You won't," Corin told her indifferently. "You had your second chance and you failed. We cannot allow you to return to the haven, you are far too dangerous. Therefore, you will remain in the human world as immortals rendered completely powerless."

"No!" Morgana screeched. "No, you can't! I was bullied into this! You have to believe me!"

Ursula's eyes blazed with anger.

"That's a lie!" she hollered. "That's a scabby falsehood! The bitch is lying!"

"Take them away," Corin ordered dryly.

He had heard enough.

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

It had been a full week since she had last seen the witches. Ariel was finally feeling better and slightly more optimistic about her future and that of her daughter's.

She was no longer stringently confined to the chambers she shared with Corin. She now wandered about certain parts of the realm with a small entourage usually consisting of a guard, Sorja, Cora and Shellsa.

When her betrothed was not busy preparing the spell for the witch's transformation, he was with her. Fussing over her till she snapped at him to stop or leave her be.

As much as Ariel enjoyed the attention Corin was lavishing on her, she wished he would calm down. His fretting was utterly inconsistent.

When she wasn't feeling sickly, he was her handsome, amusing seducer. He would undress her slowly, pleasurably then drift over her, pinching and sucking at her nipples whilst she made soft, sinful little noises and squirmed, arms tightly bound by his black and blue restraints.

Other times he was simply impossible. He snapped at anyone who crossed him and refused to leave her side unless it had something to do with the sister's final punishment or a way out of her life-threatening predicament.

'I won't die in your arms," Ariel complained to him after he had told her he was too busy to lie with her one evening. "But I may be on borrowed time."

"Don't think like that," he told her harshly, glaring at her. "You cannot die on us."

"Then this behaviour of yours has to stop," she pointed out frankly. "I'm going to have good days and bad days. I've accepted that, you have to calm down and accept it too."

Corin pinched his nose.

Ariel rolled her eyes.

"Gods, why can't you just stop it!" she exclaimed angrily. "You're ruining my optimism and you're making Shellsa cry."

Corin glowered at her.

"Don't be ridiculous! She-"

"And Cora is comfort eating," Ariel added briskly. "She finished off my kelp and seaweed balls in less then a second then Shellsa started crying because she had to get more balls for me."

The Cecaelian raked a hand through his glossy mane.

"Corin, please ..."

"What do you want of me little queen?" he asked wearily. "Just tell me what you want?"

Sensing she was finally being heard, a little smile graced Ariel's desiccated and cracked lips.

"Calm down and let them work," she implored gently. "If you want results you have to let them give them to you. You're not a bully."

Corin sighed.

"I want to keep you both alive," he told her achingly. "That is not too much to ask."

"I know," she told him patiently. "But the more you behave like this the less of a chance we have. The others are buckling under your pressuring. Whether you want to or not, you have to take a step back."

He smiled faintly.

"Very observant of you," he praised her.

She grinned back at him.

"Thank you."

He lay down beside her, letting her stroke his hair with her long fingers, closing his eyes.

"That's a start," Ariel told him.

That night Ariel did not sleep.

She lay naked and awake in their clam, within his black cocoon, staring blindly at the purple and black interior.

Apart from Corin's erratic behaviour, another thing, rather another person, had been weighing on her mind.

Ursula.

She needed to see her, but how to get to her?

That was the real difficulty.

Corin had strictly prohibited her to go anywhere near the witches new abode. He had also instructed those in her entourage to keep her on a tight leash whenever she was well enough for leave their chambers.

'_But I have to see her,'_ Ariel thought. _'One last visit."_

As if he had sensed what she had been thinking, Corin's arms and tentacles tightened their embrace.

Ariel closed her eyes and reached downward, lightly stroking one of the limbs with her fingertips, hopeful to re assure him.

The grip lessened.

Letting out a deep breath, the woman snuggled against her lover's body.

'_I'll ask him about it later,'_ she decided. _'I've made up my mind.'_

Resting chin on his chest, she peered up at him with wide buoyant eyes.

"No," Corin rumbled.

Ariel pulled away.

"Why not?" she demanded disbelievingly.

"One being that you want to see the wretch who nearly killed you. Two, you want to see her alone."

"But Corin-"

"No," he said again. Sitting up, he cupped her face in his hands, kissing her on the lips. "It's too dangerous," he added with finality.

"What if Cora came with me or Shellsa?"

He shook his head.

"No, but out of curiosity, why do you even want to see her?"

"I can't tell you."

"Then there is no way I am letting you see Ursula and that's the end of it."

He kissed her again.

Ariel groaned against his mouth, pulling away from him.

"You are being unfair!"

Corin groaned.

"Ariel," he sighed.

Using his tentacles, he languidly pulled her onto his lap, cuddling her gently.

"Forget about this," he whispered in her ear. "Just forget."

The princess refused to be agreeable, she glared at him warningly, defiance shining like a bonfire in her sapphire eyes.

He couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Come on, love," he coaxed stroking her hair. "Let me look after you."

He licked her cheek.

She shivered.

"Like that did we?" he asked huskily.

She blinked.

He slid his tongue along her cheek to her lips, wiping over them before pushing gently against them.

'_Oh you are so bad,'_ the woman thought.

Leaning backwards, she put a hand to his cheek.

"For now," she whispered. "I'll stop thinking about it for now."

Corin eyed her warily.

"You are not well, little queen," he reminded gently. "She knows that. Please reconsider this."

Ariel reached for his face, kissing him softly.

"Take me," she entreated in a melodious voice.

He hesitated.

"Today is a good day. You can't hurt me today. Take me."

_**The war room**_

"I've just got word," Sorja said, swimming toward his sister and her mate. "Genevieve had a boy. They're calling him Andrew."

"Does Ariel know about this?" Orion asked, arm around Cora's waist.

"Not yet, I was just about to-"

"No, leave them alone," Cora said quickly. "I really don't think we should disturb them, Sorja."

"But-"

"Must I spell it out? Sorja, really!"

Realising what his big sister meant, Sorja made a face.

"That is certainly something I don't need to see," he remarked, repulsed.

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

Unhurriedly dragging off her shift and the fabric binding her breasts, Corin lowered his betrothed onto the sponge bed, making her lie flat on her back.

Manoeuvring his body so that he would not accidentally crush her baby or upset her tail, he bent his head to lick at her belly button.

The woman moaned deep in her throat. Clutching at his hair, she squirmed restively underneath him.

A tentacle elegantly wrapt around her slender neck, sliding sinuously into her mouth.

Surprised and intrigued, Ariel timidly massaged its ebony and blue tip with her lips, being careful not to injure him with her teeth. He tasted salty and felt soft and rubbery in her mouth, reminding her of the French Letters Eric used when they had been not trying to conceive a child.

She stopped the massage in order to lather the tentacle tip with her tongue. This, she noted, he seemed to enjoy immensely.

Body tingling with yearning, Corin covered a robust tit with his mouth.

His lover was so caught off guard; she inadvertently bit into his tentacle.

Corin gasped in pain but did not withdraw; instead he kept the limb there, murmuring encouragingly to her before taking the breast back into his mouth.

With his tentacle in her mouth and her tit in his, the lovers began to moan and writhe. Corin's mating scent created an almost opium like haze over the pair, dulling everything but their taste, smell, touch and arousal.

Sluggishly, the tentacle fell out of Ariel's mouth, curling around a yielding bosom. Other tentacles slithered over her, wrapping around her arms, legs, neck and waist like ebony ribbons.

Holding his prey before him, the Cecaelian ruler stared at the beauty, entranced.

Black blood stained her lips and chin. Her dazed eyes stared sightlessly back at him. Her mouth trembled ever so faintly with stimulation. Her stunning chest rose and fell with each deep breath.

To him, she was no longer sickly and dying. To him, she had never looked more beautiful.

Drunk on pleasure from his smell and their intercourse, the angel sagged amidst the many appendages holding her aloft, unable to twine with them as they caressed her body.

Leaning toward her, Corin kissed his betrothed tenderly on the mouth, tasting his blood.

"I love you," he whispered stroking her hair. "I love you."

Later, when he was sure Ariel would not notice, Corin left their chambers to speak with Cora.

"How are the sister's?" he asked the empress.

"Angry. Orion had them separated for fear they'd escape punishment by killing themselves."

"Ursula's going to have a visitor," Corin told her tightly. "See to it that she's prepared."

"Whom?"

"Ariel."

Cora's eyes widened.

"Corin you cannot- you cannot be serious!" she cried. "Ariel isn't strong enough! Ursula is far too dangerous!"

"I don't like it anymore then you do. This is what she wants. I'd rather her have protection then to have nothing." He paused. "Ariel will come to you asking for aid, of that I have no doubt. Give it to her. If she opts out, leave the matter alone. If she falls ill or the witch attempts to harm her in any way, call for me immediately."

Cora nodded.

"Why does she have to speak to Ursula?" she asked. "Why not us?"

"That's what I'm hoping you will find out while you eavesdrop on their conversation," Corin muttered. "Tell Ariel that you are keeping a look out in case I happen to be passing by."

Cora shook her head.

"I can't do that," she protested. "She-"

"You will stay out of their sight but you will be my eyes and ears, is that understood?"

Cora scowled.

"Ariel is my friend. I do not like betraying my friends trust, Corin."

"She is also my betrothed and your future queen, I'd thank you to remember that," Corin reminded her harshly.

The woman's scowl deepened.

"I do not need to be reminded of who Ariel is, brother. Just remember who you are. She has only just started to recognise you as her future husband and her love. Don't do anything to destroy her or by the Goddess I swear I will have your hide!"

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

Ariel smiled at Cora.

"You wanted to see me?" the empress asked, perching on the edge of the clam.

"I want to see Ursula," Ariel explained. "Before she and Morgana are sent to the surface."

"Does Corin approve of this?"

"I asked him and he says I can't see her. That's why I'm asking you for help. There is something I need to say to Ursula and I want to say it to her alone, Corin can't be there. He won't understand."

"I think you'll find that Corin is quite astute, Ariel," Cora told her friend doubtfully.

"That came out wrong. I don't mean that I think he's stupid. I just don't think he will comprehend what I say," Ariel revealed earnestly. "Look," she then added quickly. "Ursula will be locked up. She can't hurt me."

"Not physically or magically, but emotionally she could," Cora argued lightly. "She has done so before."

Ariel squared her shoulders doggedly.

"I have to do this," she stated resolutely. "You or Shellsa can easily sneak me in and out of the prison. Corin doesn't have to know."

Cora frowned uneasily.

"If I help you, will you let me keep watch?"

"Yes."

"And if Ursula tries anything or if you feel unwell, you will call for me, won't you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Corin will never forgive me if I let her harm you, Ariel."

The princess nodded.

"I won't do any more then what's necessary, I promise," she avowed.

Cora nodded.

"Rest. I'll come for you later."

"Thank you, Cora. I'm really, really grateful."

Cora tried to smile but lacked the strength to do so.

Later that night, whilst Corin and her brother were held up in the presence chamber, Cora stole into Ariel and Corin's chambers.

She helped Ariel up. The princess felt thin and fragile against her.

"Five minutes," she whispered to Ariel. "Any longer and Corin will find out."

"That will be fine," Ariel mumbled sleepily.

Cora touched a hand to her friend's forehead.

Ariel crankily swatted it away.

"I'm fine," she grouched.

"Just checking."

_**The prison**_

"I'll wait for you here," Cora told Ariel. "The guards won't be a dilemma. Just don't be tardy, alright?"

"Yes and thank you."

"Don't thank me. I feel like I am sending a lamb to a wolf. Corin will be murderous if he ever finds out. No, I'd much prefer it if you did not thank me at all, Ariel."

Ariel grasped her friend's shoulders.

"This means a lot to me. I am thanking you, Cora."

Squeezing the empress' arms, Ariel turned toward the cells entrance.

'_Off I go,'_ she thought.

_**Outside Ursula's cell**_

As she neared the witch's cell, the princess found the air grew cold, so cold she wished her shift was not as insubstantial as it was.

Ursula's cage had slender iron bars. They were wide, thus giving the prisoner opportunity to reach an arm or other kind of limb through them.

One would have thought that pretty much idiotic but it wasn't. Unbeknownst to the detainee, the bars had a special substance painted on them, designed to burn the prisoner's skin should he or she or it decide to try to attack the guards or an unsuspecting individual. Much like her own prison back in her father's kingdom.

Running her pink tongue along her lips, the young woman timidly peered through the bars and gulped.

'_I wonder if they are enough to keep me from the lioness's claws,_' she thought derisively.

She would have to be careful. Quick and straight to the point. There was no time for hesitation.

Cora was right. If Corin were to find out about this he would be more then just angry.

The sea witch seemed to be dozing, all six tentacles covering her hefty body like a subsequent cage.

Ariel squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Ursula," she whispered. "Ursula."

Slothfully, the lavender Cecaelian woman opened one eye and then the other.

Looking upon her caller, Ursula's luscious red mouth curled into a shark like smirk of licentious pleasure.

"My dear sweet cakes," she purred silkily, sensuous tentacles falling from her sides, spreading out like black and purple streamers. "Come to pay your respects? How perfectly lovely of you! I see you're looking better. Does this mean you are going to live after all?"

Ariel rested her hands defensively upon her belly, saying nothing.

Ursula yawned.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, dearest princess?" she pressed. "Cat got your tongue?"

"I wanted to thank you."

"Beg yours?"

"I said I wanted to thank you," Ariel said a little louder.

Ursula put a hand on her large bosom.

"Thank me?" she cried. "For what, share!"

"You brought me back to Corin. That must have been hard for you. I know you love him."

The smarmy, yet merry, facade was quick to die away.

Ursula scowled frostily at the princess.

"You pathetic little fool," she sneered.

Ariel blinked, puzzled.

"You're so naïve. It's a quite pity I shan't get the chance to meet the real you. I heard she was a force to be reckoned with."

Ariel's cheeks reddened with chagrin.

"I've said all I needed to say," she muttered bitingly. "Goodbye."

She turned to leave.

"Not so fast."

Ariel stopped in mid float.

"I'm a little lacking in company, sweet lady. Would you stay for a while, hmm?"

Warily, Ariel turned, facing the woman.

"What do you want?" she whispered cautiously.

"Oh … just a little meaningless conversation. I'm sure your beloved won't mind."

Ariel edged closer to the cage.

"He doesn't know I'm here," she told the witch softly.

Ursula gave a hearty laugh.

"Maybe you're not so boring after all."

Ariel said nothing.

"You know, I had plans for you, little princess," Ursula divulged almost ruefully. "Such great big, shining plans."

"You tried to destroy me!" Ariel snapped.

"Twice. I know, I know. I was round the bend and jealous." The witch gave Corin's betrothed a furtive, covetous look. "But the daughter of King Triton is a very precious commodity," she added wantonly.

She edged closer.

"Visualise it," she urged intensely. "You and I. We could have had everything and anyone."

Ariel shook her head.

"You're mad," she croaked.

"Really?" Ursula questioned. "Or perhaps I am just so sick of being deprived of everything? I'm not sorry for taking what was rightfully mine, neither were you."

"I never hurt anyone to get what I wanted!" Ariel shouted furiously, losing her composure. "We aren't alike, Ursula!"

The witch edged closer still.

"Oh … but you _are_ like me my dear sweet child," she contradicted coyly. "You hurt your father by coming to me in the first place. You hurt Eric by becoming a human and not being able to conceive a male. You are hurting our Corin right now by seeing me. Hmmm … It's almost as if you enjoy hurting the people who love you. Odd hobby. I kind of like it."

"No," Ariel whimpered, shaken. "That's not true."

It was definitely time to leave.

"I've said all I've needed to say to you," the dowager princess told the witch uneasily. "This _is_ goodbye, Ursula."

"Oh come now! We have more to discuss surely? We could discuss a way to save you and your little one. I know how to save you two, my dear. It would bode well for you to hear me out."

Ariel shook her head.

"No," she growled. "We've said enough."

The witch pouted her displeasure.

"Well … I suppose if you must go then you must obviously go," she decided despondently. "Funny," she then added. "Never really thought of you as a defeatist, sweet cakes."

Ariel shook her head, laughing mirthlessly.

"Goodbye," she muttered.

She floated away, refusing to glance over her shoulder.

Cora was waiting anxiously outside of the cells.

"Can we go now?" she demanded. "I hate it in here."

Ariel nodded briskly. Linking her arm with the empress's, she allowed Cora to tow her away from the dank prison.

"What did she say to you?" Cora asked as they headed for Ariel and Corin's chambers.

"Nothing," the younger woman lied softly. "It was just babble."

Cora frowned mentally.

"I see," she murmured disapprovingly.

_**The steaming rock pools**_

"Corin, you have to get rid of them right now!" the empress insisted ardently.

"The ritual isn't ready, Cora," her brother snarled at her. "We have to wait!"

"I am telling you she is trying to do something to Ariel!" Cora shouted. "Brother … I think Ursula is planning to do something drastic."

"To whom? Ariel or the child?"

"Both!" the woman cried. "I don't believe Ariel will stay away from the witch for long. Ursula told her she could save her and the baby. I don't think she believed the witch but-"

"Ariel is smart enough not to be played for a fool," Corin told his sister gently. "See reason."

"I am seeing reason and I am telling you that Ariel is drawn to the lavender bitch like a moth to a flame! For crying out loud, Corin, stop being such a stick in the mud! We have to destroy her! Didn't you hear what Ariel was saying? She was thanking Ursula!"

"My betrothed will not go one mile near Ursula until the ritual, Cora. You have my word. Ariel has said all she wanted to say to Ursula. It is over. Double the guard to the prison and her entourage if you wish, but the sister's will be destroyed at the appointed time, is that understood?"

Seeing that she was losing this battle, Cora felt her shoulders slump.

"Yes," she conceited sorrowfully. "Perfectly."

Corin folded his arms across his chest, regarding her carefully.

"I grow weary of these arguments," he growled at her.

"As do I," the empress replied meekly.

Corin softened.

"I can't do it anymore," he added jadedly. "But I must have absolution. Ariel must be safe. We cannot concentrate on her illness, the child and the sisters forever. I understand that. But the only way to maintain Ariel's safety is the ritual. It must be perfect or we all stand to perish."

Cora nodded slowly.

"Yes brother," she said. "I'm just … I'm scared. We are all scared. I wish we could get this over with and get on with things."

Corin reached out, hugging his sibling.

"It will be alright," he promised. "Everything will be alright."

_**Ursula's cell**_

The princess floated toward the cell, face waxen and sombre.

"Ursula?" she whispered.

"My dear child, back again?"

"Yes."

"How in the world did you get here? Do share! I love a good story!"

Ariel swallowed thickly.

"It doesn't matter. You said we had more to discuss. What do you want?"

The Cecaelia beckoned Ariel with a manicured hand.

Wary, the princess edged slightly closer.

Ursula pouted.

"Not good enough, Sweeting. You'll have to do better then that I'm afraid."

Ariel trembled.

"I don't want to," she croaked shaking her head.

The witch sighed.

"Then there's really nothing for us to say is there? It seems you don't want to know how to save yourself and your precious daughter … I think you had better go."

Ariel stared at her adversary for a long time debating on what she should do. Her head and heart both said take flight to the sanctuary of her chambers, but something else pulled her toward the witch, something in her gut.

She moved closer.

Nothing happened.

_**The war room**_

"Ariel isn't in her chambers," Cora said as she floated into the chamber.

"I know," Corin answered slowly, leaning over the vast crystal table.

"Well shouldn't she be-Oh Goddess! Corin!"

_**Ursula's prison cell**_

Closer.

Nothing.

Closer.

Still nothing.

Closer.

Before the woman could blink lavender hands forcibly grabbed hold of her face. Startled, Ariel tried to free herself but the witch was too physically powerful, tightening her grip with each fraught jerk.

"Don't fight me," Ursula cautioned. "We don't want to hurt the little one do we? Struggling isn't much use to you."

"The bars-" Ariel hissed through clenched teeth.

"Have no effect on me, sweet pea. As painful as they are, I am not going to let go, I've built up an immunity."

Ariel closed her eyes and let her shoulders fall in defeat. A supple black tentacle casually encircled her waist, pushing her hands away to possessively curl around the baby bump. Another slid up her back and around her neck, desirably stroking the valley of pale skin.

Two more wrapt around the young woman's arms thus making escape an impossibility.

Satisfied, Ursula briskly set about unfastening Ariel's betrothal necklace, casually tossing it over her shoulder.

"Such a pretty trinket," she remarked. "I'm sure you and your sweet heart won't mind if I keep it. You can have it back after I'm gone."

Ariel said nothing. She kept her eyes shut the entire time believing that if she remained listless and quiet the witch would let her go.

Ursula was having none of that.

"Now, little princess," she purred indolently. "I want you to open those big pretty eyes of yours and look at me."

Ariel resisted.

"Look at me," Ursula lulled in an insistent burr, breath warm on her skin. "I _want_ you to look at me."

'_I won't! I won't! I won't!'_

Ursula's fingers stroked Ariel's cheek the others pushed her bloody hair over a small ear.

"Look at me," she pressed in her deep, coaxing resonance. "Look at me now. Stop resisting and look at me now."

Against her will, Ariel's eyes slid open. Looking straight at the witch the princess saw that Ursula's eyes had the same crimson rings in them she had when she had taken her voice years ago.

Terrified, the foolish young woman tried to reel back and cry out for aid but the disgraced Cecaelia chuckled mockingly and tightened her grip on her head, increasing her hypnotic clutch.

It did not take long for Ariel's mental and physical strength to ebb away. It did not take her long to realise that her efforts were fruitless. It did not take her long to realise that due to her own stupidity she had been ensnared.

Ursula's fingers trialled torpidly along the mer woman's cheek.

"You should have been mine," she told Ariel frankly. "I was so convinced that your Daddy would rather give you up instead of his power. Alas, I was mistaken. The noble old fart. Such a pity, don't you think? We would have been so good together. I could have taught you a thing or two when you were old enough."

Ursula's other hand sifted amorously through Ariel's curls.

"Your daughter should have been mine too," she added wistfully. "I nearly had a child of my own but that sanctimonious bitch of an empress killed it! Oh, I know it was her! They all told me otherwise, but I knew deep in my own heart who had killed my child."

"Please let me go," Ariel begged feebly. "I-"

Ursula placed a finger over Ariel's lips, silencing her.

"Tsk, tsk! You've always talked too much, my sweet. Now! Where was I? Ah, Yessss! So, I decided to go after your little bundle of joy. You don't need to be reminded of how I was going to do it; I'll spare you the details. Poor, dear Corin though! I should have realised that he was just too insular. There was noooo way he was going to believe that I would be a good mate for him and mother to his ward after you died. He isn't going to give you up, angelfish. Who knows? Maybe he'll make the decision to keep you alive and let the child die? Again, such a pity!"

Ariel started to struggle.

"Ah, no, I don't think so!" Ursula denied lightly.

Eyes boring into Ariel's, she deepened her voice even more so, wrapping it around her nemesis' mind like a thick cloak. "You will stay right here."

The princess became motionless once more, lost in the witches seductive mind game.

'_Ohhh, this is fun,'_ the witch thought lustfully. '_I can do anything I want with her now,'_

_**End of part 10**_

_**Authors note**_

Ariel's naivety has gotten her into trouble once again. Will she be able to escape?

There will be slash featured in the following and last chapters of this story and there will also be rape scenes; this is a heads up to avoid offence.

French Letters are basically condoms for men. Other methods of contraception were vinegar or lemon juice soaked in sheep wool, this is used to kill off seamen. The piece of wool would be inserted into the vagina and the acid from the vinegar or lemon would destroy the seamen.

This is what Ariel and Eric would have used in between pregnancies without letting the church know about it of course.

I've always found old contraception methods quite fascinating, sorry if I've grossed you out.


	11. Part 11

_**She dreams, part 11**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Ursula has Ariel in her clutches; will our feisty redhead be able to escape?

Please note, this chapter contains a rape scene with slash involved.

_**Disclaimer**_

Written in Australian and UK English. Sue grumbles and flames will be ignored or used for warmth since it is nearly winter over here.

I do not own a thing except my health. Rated M for unsolicited sexual content and consented sexual content.

_**The Cecaelian prison, outside Ursula's cell**_

Hungrily, Ursula pulled Ariel closer and closer until the poor woman's face was pressed into her ebony breasts. Inhaling deeply, the witch laughed triumphantly then tangled both of her hands in the princess's bloody mane.

"I can smell him all over you," she moaned.

Ariel began to tremble.

"I can feel him all over you," she panted aroused. "The power. Oh Goddess, it burns!"

Seizing her chance, Ariel yanked her head from Ursula's chest, sinking her strong white teeth into the witch's broad shoulder.

The larger woman gasped in pain and, although she did not let her victim go, fell away from the princess.

Ariel thrust her head back shaking it in a vehement attempt to free herself of Ursula's trickery and tentacles.

"That rather hurt," Ursula said quietly, observing the bleeding bite mark on her shoulder. "Didn't see that coming,"

Panting profusely, Ariel spat out the blood and continued to writhe.

"Fool, I'm not letting you go!" Ursula growled.

Tightening her grip, she began to reel her assailant inwards.

"Not again," the witch vowed huskily. "You are going to pay little princess. You owe me! You and your daughter belong to me!"

Ursula's hands slipped to the side of the young woman's left breast and to the right side of Ariel's stomach, dexterously using her many tentacles keep her captive in place, tear away her shift and breast bindings.

"Cor-Corin!" Ariel croaked weakly as Ursula began to fondle her breast. "Hel-Help me …"

There was a sudden scratching pain on the side her belly. The princess cried out then allowed her eyes to drift downwards.

"Gods," she choked out.

Blood was oozing from a narrow scratch on the right side of her naked belly.

"Mine," Ursula hissed, eyes shining avariciously as they watched the tiny beads of blood dart over Ariel's rotund abdomen.

Terrible comprehension hammered its way into Ariel's brain.

Ursula was not only intent on raping her. She was trying to cut the baby out with her nails.

Frantic to save both herself and her babe, Ariel bucked and twisted.

"Corin!" she yelled from the top of her lungs. "Cora! Help me!"

"Stop trying to avoid the inevitable!" Ursula snapped angrily. "This won't take long!"

The lust crazed Cecaelia sunk her fingernails cruelly into Ariel's breast, hence making the woman cry out again, wickedly cackling as she added length to the cut.

"That's enough, let her go!"

Surprised, the witch looked up at the intruder.

"Cora," she cooed, delighted. "Here for the birth?"

"There will be no birth. I am ordering you to let the princess go."

Ursula sighed.

"Spoil sport!"

Using her tentacles, she pushed Ariel away from her, chuckling heartily as the princess flew to Cora.

"Just playing with ya, sweet cheeks!" she teased dryly. "Needed a bit of fun."

"Are you hurt?" Cora asked, putting an arm around Ariel's shoulders.

The other woman nodded mutely.

"Tis but a scratch," Ursula informed gaily. "She'll get over it. She's tough."

"Shut your mouth, lavender bitch!" Cora snarled fiercely.

"Ohhh, temper, temper!"

"Don't try my patience. I am not above coming in there and shutting your mouth for you!"

Cora returned her attention to Ariel.

The mer woman looked so cowed the empress thought she was going to fall to pieces.

"Shhh, hush now," she soothed, using her tentacles to give the woman some dignity. "Corin will be-He's here now, Ariel."

Corin had arrived with Sorja and Orion on either side of him. The monarch's face was unfathomable yet his eyes were ablaze with rage.

Wordlessly, he floated to Cora.

"Give her to me," he requested stiffly.

Cora nodded, gently pushing over Ariel to him.

Without further ado, Corin picked the woman up, cradling her in his arms, concealing her naked form from view.

Feeling ashamed and dreadfully embarrassed, Ariel miserably buried her face into his chest.

Head tilted heavenwards, Corin sighed.

"Let's go," he murmured to the others.

"Yoo hoo! Hun Buns!"

Quietly seething with anger, Corin looked over his shoulder to see Ursula wearing Ariel's betrothal necklace. The silvery chain shone brilliantly whilst nestled amongst the sea witch's black bosom.

"Does it suit me?" his former consort asked saccharinely, batting her thick eyelashes.

There was a lengthy pause. The siblings and Orion held their breath.

"No," Corin replied simply. "Not really."

Ursula pouted.

"Really? I think it works."

Whilst the others departed behind Corin and Ariel Cora remained behind, looking at Ursula with disgust.

The prisoner touched her bloodied fingers to her plump ruby lips and blew a kiss at the empress.

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

"You're fine," Shellsa said looking up from Ariel's fanny and tail. "No more visits to the prison though."

"Don't worry, this won't happen again," Ariel assured wearily.

Corin sniffed and looked away.

"Your stomach doesn't need stitches," Cora added ponderously. "But I'm going to put a salve on. Sorry, but it is going to stink and sting a bit."

Ariel heaved her heavy body into a more comfortable position.

"That's fine," she grimaced. "Just put it on."

"Stupid, foolish thing to do."

Ariel frowned at her betrothed.

He merely arched an eyebrow.

"Can you finish this later?" she asked Cora and Shellsa. "We need to be alone,"

Feeling a spat coming on, Shellsa quickly gathered her things and left with Cora by her side.

Ariel waited for Corin to let loose a stream of livid words.

He did not.

After a half hour of waiting, the princess felt annoyed and impatient.

Why wasn't he angry with her? What was going on inside his head?

"You know I would have gone to see her whether you let me or not," she said at last.

"I know," Corin answered coolly.

Ariel frowned at him suspiciously.

He sounded too controlled for her liking. Where was this heading?

"You know," she echoed slowly.

"Yes. That's why I sent Cora with you the first time," he added casually.

"Wha-what?" Ariel stammered astounded. "You did-But … I asked her to take me to Ursula's cell!"

"Not before I told her it was more then likely that you would want to visit the witch. Why do you think she offered to keep watch? She was following my orders. She heard everything."

Ariel stiffened.

No wonder Cora had given in so easily.

"Neither of you were meant to hear or see any of this," she whispered. "It was private."

"If Cora hadn't obeyed me you could have died," Corin reminded her harshly.

Ariel shook her head.

"Don't be like that. Ursula was playing a game with me!"

"A game that nearly killed you!" Corin shouted angrily. "She doesn't care about anyone or anything! She will tell you whatever you want to hear so she can have you wrapped around her little finger! She is playing you for a fool. She is doing to you exactly what she did to me!"

"Don't make this about you, Corin. Don't you dare! This is about her, me and my child!"

"That child is our child and in a short time you will be my wife! What concerns you also concerns me whether you wish it to or not!"

It was Ariel's turn to sniff and turn her head.

He couldn't resist.

"It's almost as if you want her," he sneered.

Ariel's head could not have spun around faster.

"Wha-what?" she gasped. "No! _No_! I'd never want her! She disgusts me!"

"I saw and heard everything," Corin reminded in a scornful, invidious voice. "The way you let her touch you, speak to you. It was as if you offering yourself to her on a plate!"

"Ursula has very hypnotic qualities," Ariel replied defensively. "She used them on me to get my voice."

"Yes, I was there. I saw how she took your voice!" Corin growled.

"Are you implying that I actually enjoyed what she did to me?" Ariel demanded incredulously. "I didn't! I hated it! I was so frightened of her I could hardly think! Corin, she forced herself on me! She hypnotised me so she could rape me and get my baby! I-" she stopped, shaking her head.

"What?"

The woman laughed humourlessly. "I can't believe we're doing this conversation," she told him callously. "I've got a baby to worry about."

Corin nodded.

"You're right. You've had quite the ordeal," he murmured stiffly, turning to take his leave of her.

"Wait!"

Corin halted. He bowed his head.

Not another fight. He didn't have the energy.

"I'm sorry."

_**Shellsa and Sorja's chambers**_

"You know, she just might be telling the truth," Orion said sitting beside Corin on Shellsa and Sorja's clam, hands loosely clasped in front of him. "Why don't you give her the benefit of a doubt?"

"Because everything she has already said sounds like a lie," Corin seethed venomously. "You saw them. You heard their conversation; it was as if she was going to beg for the bitch to take her."

Orion looked to Sorja then shrugged.

"We did hear it," he affirmed frankly. "And after hearing all that I think it was a case of naivety and bad influence."

"I agree," Sorja said.

Corin began to glower.

Of course they would be on her side!

"Ursula is a very controlling woman," Orion pointed out in a matter of fact tone "Ariel has yet to remember who she really is. Our Ariel would have told her where to go where this one fights for little while then wilts like a flower."

Corin continued to glower.

"You should go and accept her apology, mate. Besides, so what if she did want her? It's not as if the majority of this place and half of the ocean's population haven't been there before. Ursula's pretty addictive. She can have anyone she wants when she puts her mind to it."

Corin pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Don't remind me," he growled. "Sorja, Shellsa-"

"Ah yes, the amazing threesome, I remember it well," Sorja chipped in.

Corin glared at him.

"Myself," he ground out then gave Orion a disgusted look. "Your friend, Saskia," he added sardonically.

"Yes, well, Saskia liked to play with fire in her day," Orion admitted ruefully.

"Hell, even Ragr and his sister Shandra had more then a few rides on the slut!"

"Not their finest moments," Sorja muttered under his breath and then shoved lobster meat into his mouth.

"Is there anyone here she hasn't managed to hump, Orion?" Corin demanded.

"Cora, Ariel and myself."

The Monarch groaned.

"Corin … There was no love between them. You need to let this irrational jealously go and accept it."

The Cecaelian ruler sighed.

"Send her and her sister to the surface then I'll let it go."

Orion clapped his friend on the back.

"Now you've got it. Now sod off and apologise to the little queen to be, yeah?"

"Don't push me."

"Eh," Sorja said, digging Corin in the ribs. "Look here."

Floating through the entrance where Flotsam and Jetsam.

"I reckon you can pretty much drop the act now, gents," Orion told the morays. "Doesn't look like old Ursie will be barking orders at you anytime soon."

The eels hissed in agreement then curled into tight balls.

They began to spin faster and faster.

Corin sipped his wine.

"Always interesting to watch," he remarked wryly.

The spinning gradually came to a halt and Flotsam and Jetsam unfolded themselves.

"Welcome back," Sorja said.

The eels had changed. They were no longer just plain eels. They were half human with green upper bodies, long black hair, one glowing golden eye and long, willowy Moray tails.

"Moray people," Sorja said, awestruck. "No wonder they survived the trident. They know how to copy themselves."

"Wine?" Orion offered the pair.

"Thanksssssss," Jetsam sighed, taking the pewter goblet from him. "It'sss good to have handsss again."

"I'm sure it is."

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

The princess was only just starting to sleep when she felt knuckles slide along her cheek.

"I should be sorry," he whimpered in her ear. "I was wrong to be jealous of you when there was no reason. She tried to rape you and I assumed something else. Believe me little queen, I am so sorry."

Ariel opened her eyes. Rolling over, she faced him.

"Goddess, I love you," he breathed cupping her face in his hands. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she told him softly, so softly he could barely make out the words. "Let's just forgive each other and forget about this?" she suggested wiping his tears away with cold fingers. "She'll be gone soon. We can't let her spoil things. Let's just be happy."

He was silent for a long time.

"There is something I have to know before I can forget," he said at last, holding her hand against his cheek. "Why did you feel compelled to talk to her again? Surely you knew she was lying?"

"I realised only hours before that I loved you. Believe it or not, she has changed my life. She brought me to Eric and then she brought me back to you. I wanted to thank her because I was so grateful, and Ursula does love you in her own way, Corin. It hasn't been easy for her. Hopefully on the surface she'll find some kind of peace."

He offered his betrothed a sceptical look.

"You did not answer my question."

"I'm getting to that. Ursula told me she knew of a way to keep me and my baby alive. I thought she had finally decided to do something good and selfless for a change. I thought her love for you would save us."

Corin said nothing.

"I think the sister's have had a very unhappy life," Ariel went on. "The only thing they know how to do is crave. Ursula told me she wanted my daughter. I think if someone had loved her half as much as you love me and had given her a child she would have been a completely different person."

"Do you want us to forgo the punishment?" Corin asked, dreading her answer.

Ariel shook her head.

"No. That has to happen. They're too dangerous."

Tired but happy, she pressed her cheek against his chest.

"There's no one else, not anymore."

He kissed her hair.

"Thank you."

"We've got it!" Cora cried bursting into the chamber, startling Ariel. "We've got it!"

"What?" Corin asked, bamboozled.

"Induce the birth then put her to sleep," the woman told her brother and friend enthusiastically. "We keep the fetus in an incubator shield till it's fully developed. Once Ariel starts to change; her body will automatically start to cure its self of the poison."

"That might work," Corin said, stroking his chin.

Sitting up, Ariel stared at them as if they had all gone bonkers.

"I don't …" she began.

"It's the only choice we have now," Corin said taking her hands in his own.

"But I might be too weak."

"This is why we put a lasso around your soul," Cora explained boldly. "We did it for Ursula, there's no rhyme or reason why we can't do it for you."

"Ariel is a mer woman," Corin pointed out cautiously. "Only part of her soul was not converted, Cora. You need to contain the entire thing."

"Shellsa is looking into that right now. Brother, this is our best option! In fact, you said it yourself, it's our only choice!"

Corin bowed his head eventually raising it and looking into Ariel's eyes.

"I will find you again," he promised softly.

The princess touched her fingers to his stubbled jaw.

"I want to think about it," she said at last.

Corin pulled away.

"No!" he protested furiously. "You can't-"

"I won't need long. I promise."

"That's good because you don't have long," Cora told her gravely.

_**The war room**_

Corin had been waiting outside their chamber for half an hour.

His patience was wearing thin.

Cora floated nearby, waiting for his first conniption. Corin, she knew very well, was prone to gigantic bursts of temper, especially where Ariel was concerned.

She bowed her head, pursing her lips, waiting, waiting and waiting.

The doors opened and Ariel appeared.

Corin whirled around to face her, eyes glistening with barely restrained unrest.

The princess licked her lips.

"I'll do it," she murmured.

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

"What's this?" Ariel asked eying the black, slick mixture Cora stirred.

"This changes you into one of us," the woman murmured. "Shellsa and I smear it over you then your body burns, tears its self apart then-"

"Please … No more details."

"Ariel, you'll be asleep before any of that happens."

"Oh."

There was silence. A long silence.

"Where is Corin?"

"Topaz temple. He is asking the Goddess to keep your soul for him,"

"Is he afraid?"

Cora frowned at the mixture. "He's afraid there will be a long search ahead should you die. The mer men who killed you the first time destroyed the sanctuary that protected your soul. All of us have a different one. They cannot be reconstructed unless the Goddess wills it," she bit her lip, turning to the princess. "Your body is weak. You'll have to fight. If you were to die again Corin might try to follow you."

"You mean kill himself?" Ariel whispered.

Cora nodded sadly.

"I have a wonderful husband. A lovely little brother and many children of my own but I couldn't bear to lose either you or Corin."

_**The presence chamber**_

"Ariel, this is Ragr's successor, Nona," Cora introduced. "She's your niece and my daughter. She will be performing the ritual."

The dark haired Cecaelia priestess smiled kindly at Ariel. Like her mother, she was impossibly exquisite with pristine creamy skin and wide greyish blue eyes and slender cyan tentacles like her father's.

"Princess," she greeted melodiously, taking Ariel's hand and kissing the amethyst ring.

"Be careful," Ariel warned.

Nona frowned at her.

"Of whom, princess?" she asked, bamboozled.

"The sisters," Ariel replied cautiously, eying the centre of the chamber. "They aren't as helpless as they'd like us to believe."

Nona nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Ursula especially. She is as cunning as she is unstable. We had a lot of difficulty with her up until now." The priestess then sighed irritably and rolled her eyes. "Her sister on the other hand …"

"Till now?" Ariel asked.

Nona frowned again.

"Till now, Princess?"

"You said that you've been having difficulties with Ursula up until now. What's changed?"

"The witch has become quite subdued. She said that she wanted to go to the surface without too much fuss."

Cora's tentacles bristled.

"What is it?" Ariel asked her friend.

"The lavender bitch may be-"Cora stopped. "No," she breathed. "It's just me being pedantic."

"Mother?"

"It's nothing, Nona."

"Mother, tell us."

"I'm just glad we've taken away their powers, that's all."

Cora turned to Ariel, putting an arm around her shoulders. "We should go up," she told her friend wearily. "It's time."

Nona had not been mistaken, Ursula was indeed subdued.

Restrained by Orion's guards, the witch was no longer screaming and gnashing her teeth her sister. She moved in silence, taking in everything as if she were not receiving a sentence but receiving something entirely different.

Perturbed, Ariel squeezed Corin's hand. He returned the squeeze then nodded to Sorja.

"Proceed," the emperor called out to his niece who stood calmly before the witches.

Nona bowed to Ariel and Corin.

"Let them go," she ordered the guards.

As soon as the guards had released them, Morgana sprung from her sister's side and threw herself toward the thrones, screeching like a banshee.

"Drive her back!" Orion barked angrily. "She is not to go near the princess! Drive the bitch back!"

Shellsa threw a ball at the witches.

Once again, they were trapped in a shining turquoise enclosure.

"No!" Morgana sobbed, banging her fists against the cage. "No! No! No!"

Cora rolled her eyes.

"Oh do shut up," she muttered under her breath.

Ariel listened intently as Nona led her priests and priestesses through the ritual.

Like her recent coronation there was a dreadful, guttural cacophony.

God's, she longed to cover her ears.

Below in their cage, Ursula and Morgana were waiting for the changes to take place.

Morgana was tearing the flesh of her knuckles with her teeth and sobbing like a fool. Ursula, to Ariel's disbelief, was still eerily calm.

A rustic cauldron rose from the floor. Yellow liquid bubbled over its black sides. An appalling smell emitted from it. The chanting increased in volume. The louder it became the more horrible the sound was. Ariel cringed back against her throne and stuffed her hair into her ears finally covering her nose with her hand, all the while hoping no one would notice.

Hovering before the cauldron, her tentacles flowing around her agile body, Nona raised her hands above her head, chanting profusely. With her brow furrowed in concentration, the youthful looking priestess made beckoning motions with her fingers.

"What is she doing?" the princess whispered into her hand, forgetting she had stuffed her ears with hair.

A large bubble rose from the unattractive yellow glop. It floated before Nona and everyone else for a moment then edged toward till finally enveloping the sisters.

Whimpering Morgana grasped her sister's arm and buried her face in her shoulder.

The chanting stopped.

Ursula and Morgana screamed and doubled over in agony.

Ariel gasped in horror as she witnessed the witches skin began to burn, blister then peel away.

One by one, the sister's tentacles dropped off until only two remained.

There was a blinding flash of luminosity accompanied swiftly by two piercing cries of pain.

Squinting, Ariel managed to make out the bloody writhing forms of two humans. Forgetting the stench from the potion and burning Cecaelia flesh, she rubbed at her eyes. When able to see clearly, she saw the changed Ursula and Morgana.

"They're old again," she breathed.

Old and never had they been so ugly.

Ariel waited for Corin to give the signal to have them taken up to the surface.

He did nothing.

Forcefully yanking the red locks from her ears, the princess looked to her betrothed, wanting an explanation.

"A fourth punishment," Corin replied frankly. "We didn't want to make things too easy for them."

"It seems a little unrealistic," Ariel remarked somewhat astringently. "Aren't you being _too_ hard on them? You've already taken their powers."

He smiled mysteriously at her.

"Not in the least, little queen," he replied matter-of-factly. "There is something else coming up which will sum everything else up nicely."

The dowager princess arched an eyebrow.

"What else?" she asked.

Corin squeezed her hand.

"Watch," he murmured. "I think you might approve. The idea is Cora's and my own."

Guards entered the bubble along with Nona.

In Cora and Orion's daughter's hands was a formidable looking silver dagger.

Ariel felt a chill run down her spine. Swallowing thickly, she willed the dread away.

The guards forced Ursula and Morgana into a kneeling position, holding their heads back, they pried the witches mouths open.

Face devoid of emotion, Nona slowly approached Morgana, bringing the dagger close to the frantic woman's mouth.

"God's," Ariel croaked.

She was going to cut out their tongues.

"Stop it!" the princess choked out tearing her hand out of Corin's. "Enough. Please! Don't cut their tongues out!"

Frowning her bamboozlement, Nona moved away from Morgana, looking questioningly up at Corin and Ariel.

Corin held up a hand then turned to his intended.

"This is the right thing to do," he told her mildly. "Ariel, it has to be done."

"They'll suffer without losing their tongues!" Ariel insisted. "I never agreed to this. It's barbaric!"

"And what they did to you was unforgivable!" the Cecaelian snapped. "This is the punishment they deserve!"

"It's better that they go to the surface without magic!" Ariel whispered heatedly. "Think of it, they'll hate it!"

Corin bowed his head.

"Please!"

The monarch sighed. Frustrated, he pinched the bridge of his nose and swore under his breath.

"Corin, cutting their tongues out is not an answer! This is wrong!"

"I want them to feel what you felt!" he spat, not looking at her. "How can that be wrong?"

Ariel shook her head.

"Ursula never cut out my tongue," she said resolutely. "She took my voice but she didn't cut out my tongue. Humiliation is the best thing to do here. It's more then enough. Don't carry this out any further. You are better then this!"

Corin looked from the weeping sisters to his own sister.

The empress was looking straight at Ariel. Shock, betrayal and anger all shone in her greyish eyes.

Corin could not blame her. He too felt as if the crimson maned woman had stabbed him in the back.

'_I did this for you,'_ he thought vituperatively. _'We all did this for you,'_

"Corin, please," Ariel urged. "Send them away. They don't need to be here anymore."

He rose.

"As you wish," he murmured loftily.

He looked to his niece and the guards.

"Take em up!" he ordered.

Confused yet quick to obey, the guards gathered around the bubble, hoisting it upwards.

Looking away from the ascending sister's, Ariel rested her sapphire eyes on her betrothed. He still seemed incapable of meeting her gaze yet she could tell he was furious.

"I hope you are happy," Corin said frostily.

Ariel licked her lips.

"They deserved that," she told him bluntly, refusing to be cowed. "Nothing more. Nothing less."

This time Corin turned to her.

"Fool," he muttered.

_**Cora and Orion's chambers**_

"The sister's are out of our hair at last," Orion said to Corin, handing him a goblet of wine. "Why aren't you celebrating with Ariel?"

"Because she's an idiot," Cora told her mate, entering alongside Sorja.

"She needs time on her own," Corin murmured, ignoring Cora. "I can't keep coddling her when things do not turn out the way she believes they should."

"To be quite frank with you, I'm glad Ariel did what she did," Shellsa said, nursing her goblet in her hands. "Corin, you have always told me that we have to stop killing and torturing. You told me that before the war you all presented yourselves to the mer people as a non-violent race. Why should you want to tarnish that? Triton will not trust us if we continue solve our problems with bloodshed."

"Are you implying that I would have enjoyed watching Nona remove their tongues?" Corin demanded heatedly.

"I believe a part of you that was so determined to avenge Ariel would have enjoyed it," the Cecaelia stated carefully.

Corin's lips peeled back exposing his white teeth. From his throat came a warning snarl.

Shellsa ignored him.

"You won't attack me," she stated confidently. "I am your sister. Your brother's mate. Calm down, Corin."

"You are not my sister! You are an insignificant half breed!" Corin bellowed.

Horrified, Cora gasped into her hand.

"Corin?" Orion whispered, aghast. "What are you-?"

Shellsa flinched as if his words had physical impact.

"You cruel bastard," she whispered.

"Corin that was out of line!" Sorja shouted at his sibling. "Apologise to her right now!"

"It is she who should apologise!" Corin barked pointing at Shellsa. "All I have ever done is look after her! I was the one who helped make her what she is now! She would have died had I not changed her! How does she repay me? By daring to say that I am out of control! That I am a sadistic monster!"

Cora put a hand on her brother's arm.

"Come with me," she said tersely. "Before you do or say something profoundly stupid."

"He has to apologise to Shellsa first." Sorja insisted strictly.

"Leave it," Shellsa told him brusquely.

"But he-"

"I said leave it!" she snapped. "I don't want to hear anything less then sincere."

The woman looked at her mate's brother. There was disgust in her eyes but understanding as well.

"You hate me right now, don't you?" she told him heatedly. "You hate me because I used to be a mermaid. Mer people failed to understand you so you are lashing out at Ariel and I because you think we are ignorant."

Corin's lips twitched.

"I couldn't help being what I was and you know it. Ariel cannot help but abhor violence and you know it to."

Feeling uneasy, Orion moved toward her and Sorja.

"Shellsa …" he began.

"Instead of staying here all angry and insecure you should be with her telling her how amazing she is," Shellsa continued with fervour. "You told me that was one of the many things you loved about her. Why don't you go to Ariel and tell her that just that, Corin?"

Corin ripped himself away from his sister. He would have rushed to yell in Shellsa's face had Sorja not blocked his path.

"You do not tell me what to do!" the monarch hollered at Shellsa.

"Well someone has to!" she retorted wilfully, pushing her mate to a side. "Right now you are acting as if you are the victim. You were once! You are not anymore! Ariel is the victim now. She is the one who needs help and support! Is that what she's getting right now? A clue. No! She is not getting it because you are too wrapt up in your own misery!"

Corin's upper lip drew back and he began to growl.

"Shut it!" Shellsa ordered, curling her fingers into her palms. "You are not a bully, Corin! Stop trying to dominate me!"

Seething with anger, Corin forced himself to remain where he was.

He glared malignantly at the woman.

"You have more to say, spit it out, wench!" he ordered Shellsa, his upper and lower body trembling ominously .

Reaching out, Cora grasped Corin's arm. After giving her younger brother a perturbed look she nodded for Shellsa to continue.

"I never knew Ariel till the witches brought her here," Shellsa admitted coolly, "but I listened to the stories and I read our son's book."

"That's not the same as knowing her," Corin snarled at the younger Cecaelia. "You never knew her the way we did. You cannot possibly fathom the love _we_ have for her."

"You're right. She will never be as precious to me as she is to you," the woman agreed. "But I am not wholly unaware. On the contrary, I _can_ understand the love you all bear for her. I understand the need to protect her, why you wanted the witches to lose their tongues … but I also believe that this love … this almost obsessive love is fast becoming unreasonable and is costing too much. Ariel only wanted half of what you wanted when it came to the sisters. That does not make her a weakling or oblivious of the vast effort and pain you have all gone through. She knows when to stop. She didn't show the sisters mercy, Corin. She did the exact opposite. She sent Ursula and Morgana to Hell by sending them to the human world without their most valuable asset. Magic. And that to me is a perfect queen."

There was a long silence only breaking when Cora cleared her throat and spoke.

"She's right," the empress agreed wearily, eyes on the floor. "We are in need of reining in. What happened today was not right. We are better then this."

Saddened, Cora looked to her eldest brother. "We can't do that again," she told him. "No one is helping Ariel with this kind of behaviour and we _are_ tearing ourselves apart."

Corin said nothing.

"You need space," Orion said to Corin, clapping him on the back. "We'll look after Ariel while you … Go and get some perspective, yeah?"

"Good idea," Cora agreed.

Sorja scowled and put an arm around his mate's shoulders.

"Apologise to my wife," he whispered icily.

Corin raised his head, looking forlornly at his brother and Shellsa.

"I have a lot of apologies to make," he admitted gravely.

Shellsa suddenly swam over and hugged Corin firmly.

"Apology accepted," she said affectionately.

_**Ariel and Corin's chambers.**_

Ariel watched in silent fascination as Cora and Shellsa began applying the concoction to her tail.

"It doesn't hurt," she murmured surprised.

"It really only hurts once it changes the outer part of you; you'll be asleep when that happens." Shellsa explained. "Right now it's healing the outside of your tail."

"Have you changed someone before?" the princess asked curiously.

"I used to be a mermaid," Shellsa informed Ariel thus taking the woman by surprise. "I was angry with my people for their treatment of the Cecaelians. I made a lot of noise, too much noise. As punishment for speaking against the ambush, the mer people colony I belonged to had me tortured and banished."

Ariel bit her lip.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Shellsa shrugged.

"Don't be sorry. It wasn't your people who did it. My people were young. Young and stupid. I had only just joined them. See … My family had me betrothed to one of the colonies hierarchy. He was kind and handsome but also a rather vapid young man. They sent me to live with them before the ambush.

I was the only one in my new colony who knew about Cecaelians. I had never seen you, Ariel, but I knew about you and Corin. My family's colony had always been fond of the Cecaelian people and encouraged me to respect them.

Anyway-"

"Here comes the romantic part!" Cora sing songed, earning a playful punch in the arm.

"_Anyway!_ When I was convinced I was going to breathe my last breath, Sorja and Corin found me. They had heard about me and had been trying to find me in hope that I could act as a defence for them against the mer people's persecution. They brought me here and healed my wounds.

Later I learned that Sorja had been keeping an eye on me and had a hand in my recovery. Much, much later I found out he wanted me and then …"

Shellsa shrugged again, her face colouring.

Cora reached out, affectionately squeezing Shellsa's shoulder.

"He is lucky to have found you," she reminded the woman.

"Do you love him?" Ariel asked curiously.

Shellsa grinned, her face red.

"Madly and daily," she replied wickedly.

Cora wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Too, too much information," she muttered.

The women continued in silence, nearly covering Ariel almost entirely with the black mixture.

The young woman stared with very wide blue eyes at her lower body.

"Almost done," Shellsa said, washing the muck off her hands. "We'll let it rest for a while."

"How is Corin?" the princess asked. "I haven't seen him since the witches left."

Cora pursed her lips.

"Please tell me."

"He's … Alright, Ariel," Shellsa said slowly. "He just needs space."

Ariel licked her lips.

"It's my fault," she whispered. "I should have let him go through with it."

"You stood by what you believed was right," Shellsa pointed out.

Ariel looked to Cora.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Do you think I was right?"

"I admit I would have preferred to see the sisters lose their tongues, but you were right. Eternity without magic, without beauty. Ursula and Morgana will not have the stamina to handle it. It will drive them to madness."

"But Corin … I think I know what he was aiming for," Shellsa divulged thoughtfully.

Ariel frowned.

"I don't understand," she said.

"When you were changing into a human, how did it feel to be in so much agony and not be able to call for aid?" Cora asked her friend after reading Shellsa's mind.

"Unbearable," Ariel said after a moment. "Like I was trapped in a pool of acid."

Cora nodded sagely.

"Exactly. He loves you so much he would have made them feel precisely that."

_**The Topaz shrine.**_

"You know she's wondering why you're not with her?"

"I know," Corin murmured, eyes never drifting from the shrine. He placed a chalice full of sea nectar onto the step before him. "I know."

"Are you afraid of seeing her?" Sorja asked.

There was a protracted pause.

"I'm terrified," Corin admitted at last.

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

Cora produced two round bottles, one full of sky blue fluid another of a salmon colour.

"Drink these," she instructed solemnly, handing Ariel the bottles.

"What are they for?" the woman asked, pulling out the stopper and then taking a timid sniff of each.

"The labour, it's time, Ariel."

Ariel became uneasy.

"N-now?" she stammered. "But I'm not-Corin isn't here!"

"Ariel please! You do not need Corin here to drink potions! He'll come when he is ready."

The dowager princess sighed.

"Alright," she murmured, resigned. "Alright."

Skulling the salmon potion, Ariel nearly gagged due to its disgusting flavour. Giving the bottle to Cora, she reached for the sky blue, already dreading the taste.

She was pleasantly surprised. It was like drinking sweetened, heated cream and trickled down her throat, warming her aching, swollen belly.

She closed her eyes sighing deeply.

"Now we can begin," murmured Cora.

To Ariel's relief, Cora had covered her in a long cream shift before the others came in. Also to her relief, not everyone from the court had been allowed admittance to the chamber. Aside from the empress, only Sorja, Orion and Shellsa crowded around the giant clam, their eyes anxious and waiting.

_**The topaz shrine**_

Corin replaced the blood stained dagger and looked down. There were chalices of wine. Bowls of fruit. Jewels. His blood stained the steps.

"Please tell me you will help her," the monarch whispered brokenly. "I need her to survive! I can't-" He lowered his head, fat tears streaming down his emaciated cheeks. "Without her my world is ash. I cannot be parted from her again. Do not take her from me again."

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

"Where is he?" Ariel demanded fretfully. "He has to be here!"

Cora glanced at Sorja worriedly.

"He-"

"I need to find him," the princess said desperately, straining to get up. "I can't do this without him. I need to find Corin and drag him here."

"Ariel the contractions-"

"Haven't even started yet. Don't stop me from looking for him, you can't!"

"We'll look for you," Cora said.

She turned to her mate.

"Where was Corin last?"

"The topaz shrine …" Orion began warily. "But he said-"

"I'm here."

Corin slid beside Ariel, grasping her hand and squeezing it firmly.

"Did you really think I would let you go through this alone?" he asked her.

Ariel hesitated. He did not look like her betrothed, the man she now loved. His stubble had turned into an unkempt beard. His eyes were bloodshot. He was nowhere near as luminous.

He looked … He looked like he was dying.

"Yes," she told him honestly. "I was coming to get you. I was preparing a speech in my head."

Corin kissed her forehead.

"I love you," he whispered fiercely. "I can't stay away, little queen,"

The first contraction hit the young woman when she was least prepared.

It tore its way through her body like an angry flame would go through a log. She screeched in agony, thrusting her head back and arching off the bed.

"Push!" Cora urged in her ear. "You've got push as hard as you can!"

Ariel clenched her teeth together and groaned.

The contraction stopped, the pain gradually faded.

"Oh, is it over?" the woman asked, gulping.

"That was your first contraction, Ariel," Cora reminded with a hint of exasperation in her bell like voice.

Cora peeled the blanket back, taking a look.

"How is it going?" Corin asked.

"Only a few more to go. This baby won't give us too much trouble."

"How many is a few?" Sorja asked.

"Six, maybe seven."

"What?" Ariel exclaimed wildly.

"I don't know, I'm not a mer woman!" Cora cried. "Stop hoping for a clear answer and prepare!"

"It's six," Corin said, hugging Ariel. "It's six."

"Don't lie to make me feel better," Ariel snapped.

He rolled his eyes.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Oh you-wowwowowowowowWOW!"

"Here comes number two," Cora muttered.

"I can't do this!" Ariel wailed three hours later.

"You have to!" Cora snapped. "Now push! It has to come out!"

"Oh Gods!" sobbed Ariel. "Oh Gods! Get it out of me!"

"We're trying to." Sorja said, taking a firm hold of her hand. "We're doing everything we can."

"I can see it," Cora said, excited. "Two, perhaps three more pushes and it'll be over."

"Did you hear that, Little Queen?" Corin asked his betrothed. "Only two or three. You have got to push. It's almost over."

Ariel clenched her teeth and screamed.

"Almost there," Shellsa murmured, "Almost there …"

"Not soon enough," Corin growled.

"Get ready to push again," Cora told the woman.

Using every bit of strength she had left, Ariel closed her eyes and pushed.

There was a gush of something hot and wet followed almost immediately by a rush of cold air and an almost regrettable emptiness.

"It's out!" she heard Cora exclaim. "It's out!"

Then everything went black.

_**Somewhere**_

She was alone.

Very alone.

Ariel looked apprehensively about her alien surroundings. Her entire body tingled with uneasiness.

"Where am I?" she asked herself.

The place she now occupied was a white temple of sorts. There was no water yet she found she could float.

In the very centre of the white chamber was a rectangular pool with an unusually tall Cecaelia sitting beside it stirring black and silver liquid with a long wooden pole.

Except for her eyes and lips, her eyes were golden; her plump lips a pinkish brown, the strange woman was black all over.

"Excuse me?" Ariel asked nervously. "Can you help me, please? I think I'm lost."

The woman stopped in her stirring and looked up at her.

"Welcome home," she greeted in a deep, kind voice. "It has been a long time, hasn't it, dear one?"

The young princess frowned.

"I know you?"

The woman smiled again.

"Of course. I created you."

Ariel gazed wide eyed at the Cecaelia, unable to speak.

"It's rude to stare."

"You-You're the Goddess? Vorlorna?" she managed to stammer.

The deity nodded.

"Yes, I am she."

'_Oh … Gods,'_ Ariel thought.

"You were sent here by Cora, my other creation. She fears that your memory loss has robbed you of your love for her brother."

The divine being set her stick aside, folding her slender, masculine arms across her ample ebony breasts.

"It is partially true, isn't it?" she asked Ariel. "You can no longer love him as much as you did before."

The younger woman miserably bowed her head.

"He has been so kind and patient," she answered softly. "I can't remember how I used to… I try … I really do try …." Her voice cracked and she was unable to continue.

The Goddess made a sympathetic noise then beckoned Ariel toward her.

Warily, the woman swam over, letting Vorlorna put an arm around her shoulders.

"As you already know, when you were killed the mer people captured your soul," the Goddess explained gently. "They converted it so that their God could have control over you."

"But how?" Ariel asked, looking at the superior being.

"Ursula and Morgana's mother and father. Circa and Kunama."

"Mother and father … But …. But they said they didn't want children."

"That was before Merjorca swayed them, I am going to tell you something you did not know before your death.

Kunama and Circa loved you. They were jealous of Corin and vowed that if they could not have you, no one would."

Ariel shivered.

"She and Circa aided the mer people in the attack. They handed you and your children over to them in exchange for sanctuary from Corin, your heart and the hearts of your children's."

The princess flinched sharply.

"Our hearts?" she whispered putting a slim hand unconsciously over her chest. "She took our hearts?"

"In order to serve Merjorca, one must sacrifice the hearts of the ones they have been intimate with or hold dear," Vorlorna explained ruefully. "Kunama would have easily given up her mate but she needed Circa alive in order to create offspring. Merjorca seduced them both with promises of power and vengeance. She made it easy for them, all they had to do was give her hearts, conceive two children to be her champions … and then all the power they could possibly want would be theirs."

After the war, Circa and Kunama fled their realm. I do not know what has become of them, but they have not come out of hiding. I am blind to them; I believe that is due to my sister's magic."

Vorlorna sighed heavily.

"So that is it, my child," the deity murmured sadly. "Now you know why you were betrayed. Passion can be a deadly thing, can't it?"

Ariel nodded, licking her lips.

"Had Ursula managed to keep Corin with her …" she shook her head, disgusted by the prospect.

"Had the she succeeded, Corin and the others would have suffered a great deal. Ursula's craving for power and carnal pleasure would have destroyed everything he and you fought so hard to maintain.

However … I am glad she is who she is. I am glad Circa and Kunama went down that path and gave her and her sister birth. I think they have made you and Corin a great deal stronger."

Ariel stared up at the deity, startled.

"How can you say that?" she gasped.

Vorlorna reached upward to stroke Ariel's hair with her long, dark fingers. "Not everything is black and white, daughter," she reminded Ariel calmly. "It is all shades of grey. I may be grieved by Circa and Kunama's change of allegiance, the suffering of my people. I may be upset by Ursula and Morgana's actions, though they may not have come from my womb like you and Corin have, I still love them. Ursula, Morgana, they had every right to feel love and security, as much right as you do, but greed snatched it away from them. It is a very common flaw."

Ariel said nothing. She bowed her head. Staring mutely at her hands.

"Disapprove?"

She hesitated.

"You're a deity," she said at last, raising her head to look at Vorlorna. "It's not my place to disapprove."

"I am a deity who listens," the Goddess pointed out gently. "You feel that I am a monster for being pleased that your people and your children were butchered, yes? I am not glad for that. The iniquitous killing of innocent beings has never once given me joy. I am glad, Ariel, by the fact that your loss has made you, and the rest of whom you love, stronger. Loss can do that to an individual or it can weaken them permanently. Merjorca understands this. She has felt loss on far more then one occasion as have I."

Ariel was about to respond when she felt strange. Looking down, she noticed that, apart from her head and neck, her entire body had become grey and translucent.

"What's happening to me?" she asked fearfully. "Where is my tail?"

The Goddess made a soothing noise, squeezing her creations arm.

"You're body is changing, there is nothing to fear."

Ariel trembled.

The Goddess nodded.

"Indecision," she murmured.

The princess frowned.

"Sorry?"

"It is time for you to be rewarded for the sacrifices you have made. Your transformation will go on without any further problems."

Ariel frowned, staring at the floor.

"But I'm not sure … I still love Eric."

The deity smiled.

"Black and white and shades of grey, little one."

Ariel put a hand to her forehead.

"I'm confused."

The Goddess squeezed her arm sympathetically.

"I understand. The love you had for that young man is passionate despite what he did to you. Ironically, it is almost as strong as the love you bore for Corin prior your death."

Ariel slid away from the Goddess, approaching the pool, looking thoughtfully at the swirling liquid.

"Sometimes I feel that I could truly love Corin the way he wants me to," she admitted to the Goddess again. "But then I stop and I think that's only desire. Desire isn't love."

"But desire can sometimes blossom into such a thing. You know that," Vorlorna replied. "When you first saw Eric, you desired him, yes? That desire turned into love. How can you know that it will not be the same for you and Corin? Your heart was certain when you told him earlier. Who knows? Perhaps the love you give him now may be stronger then the love you shared before?"

There was silence between the two for a long period of time.

"And if I choose not to change?" Ariel asked timidly.

The Goddess shrugged casually.

"You will go back to a new, happy life with Eric without suffering the torments you have known."

She then paused.

"What?" the princess asked nervously, a great chill making its way down her spine. "What is it?"

"There is a catch. You and Corin will be separated forever," the deity told Ariel. "You must also give up your daughter."

Ariel flinched.

Kali.

"She is a Cecaelia now, dear one," the Goddess continued sagely. "She cannot belong in the mer or human world. Neither would accept her."

Ariel felt as if her heart was being torn into small pieces by thousands of white-hot knives.

'_Kali,'_ she thought. _'I've fought so hard for you. And Corin … how can I …? Someone help me … please …'_

"Whatever you decide, you are still my child and I always look after my children," Vorlorna told Ariel frankly. "You will be happy and fulfilled in whatever life you choose. But … both lives will have their fair share of hardships. With Corin you will have many enemies. Your father for he will be greatly upset by your transformation. He will see it as a betrayal. Merjorca may even choose to return from banishment.

With Eric you will have to make many sacrifices. You will have to strive to give him a son and for his peoples love and trust. This will test your love for him greatly. "

"Can't you just … split me in two?" Ariel asked hopefully.

The Goddess shook her head. When she spoke again her tone was loving, but grave. She was fully aware of the decision she was asking her favourite child to make.

"Sweeting, if only I could. But that would be a perfect idea. Alas, you must choose one life and one life only."

_**Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

"Isn't she beautiful?" Cora cooed, cradling the crystal orb in her arms. "Our precious little Kali."

Corin looked up at her from Ariel's dormant form.

"Kali?"

"That's the name she chose for her," Cora replied, smiling at the still developing fetus.

_**The Goddess's realm**_

Picking the mer woman up, the Goddess carried her over to the rectangular pool.

"Are you certain that this is what you want?" she asked her child.

"I am," the woman replied. "Thank you."

The deity smiled warmly and kissed Ariel's forehead.

"Then be happy little one."

_**Where Ariel's new life begins**_

She opened her eyes. At first all was blurry. She had to blink.

A hand stroked the hair off her face.

She smiled.

"Hello," she said softly.

Reaching up, she traced the jaw of her love with trembling fingertips.

_**End of part 11**_

_**Authors note**_

Whom has Ariel chosen? Was it the right choice?

Thanks for reading guys!

Leah


	12. Part 12

_**She dreams part 12**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

What life has Ariel chosen?

_**Disclaimer**_

Rated M for fairly strong sexual content and angst. Written in Australian and UK English. All Sue grumbles and flames will be ignored.

Dedicated to the chair I sit on when I write my fics. Brunettes who dye their hair blond because they want to, my purple trackie pants and to Angelique, a good friend and guardian angel, and, finally, to rum and coke, an excellent drink.

Sorry for taking so long, I actually thought the story was ready then whilst proof reading it I realised I had been mistaken and have rewritten a vast majority of it. Also have been having a little war with the flu.

_**Cecaelian realm, Ariel and Corin's chambers**_

The woman staring back at Ariel, the woman trapped in the opulent mirror.

Her … and yet it was not her.

This woman had loose spiralling, waist length light brown hair with copper highlights. Her eyes were a gleaming sapphire. Her tentacles were dark opal and she now had ten tentacles.

Her … And it was yet not her.

Her entire voice was genteel, clipped with the most flawless diction. The tone of it was soft, slightly husky.

Her … And yet it was not her.

_**Flash back**_

Corin helped her into a sitting position, his face streaked with tears.

"Hello, love," he whispered thickly.

She smiled thinly.

"Hello," she replied softly.

She licked her lips.

They felt dry, cracked.

"Thirsty," she mumbled wearily, closing her eyes.

Goddess she was tired.

The princess looked down at herself, her eyes widened.

"Wh-what?" she gasped. "Gods! What have you done to me?"

Corin slipped back.

"Ariel?"

"It's alright," Cora said steadily. "It's perfectly alright. Your mind is merely processing everything. This will pass, Ariel, you just need to adjust mentally."

"Who are you?" The woman demanded angrily. "I don't know any of you! I don't know what you wa-" She stopped, frowning.

"Ariel?" the empress murmured cautiously.

"Why is my heart thumping?" the princess asked them. "What's wrong with me?"

Corin immediately took Ariel's face in his hands and kissed her forehead.

"It's fine," he told her. "It's going to be fine."

Hugging the Cecaelia to him, the monarch glanced over at his sister and Shellsa.

'_What have we done to her?'_ he asked them with his eyes.

"This was to be expected," Cora told him whilst watching Ariel. "Her head now contains the memories of her mer woman self and before she was executed. The others we've converted have experienced interim memory exertion. You know this, Corin. It's just that the fact that it is Ariel who is experiencing these problems that has unbalanced you."

"Shellsa, get her something to drink," she then instructed coolly. "Mix in a little sedative while you're at it."

'Hasn't she slept enough already?" Corin demanded hotly.

His sister shook her head.

"On the contrary, she isn't going back to sleep. This will keep her calm so we can teach her how to control her mind. We can't have her hurting herself, can we?"

Ariel shivered.

"It's alright," Corin murmured, kissing her hair. "It's all going to be alright."

He looked to his sister.

"Are we going to have to put her on a leash as well?" he asked the empress sarcastically.

The woman sighed.

"Brother …"

"Well?"

"Ariel will to remain in here until we can be sure she doesn't accidentally leave the realm for the surface or Triton's palace. That shouldn't take more then a month or three. In the meantime sit with her, talk to her. Remind her who she really is because the more she focuses on the present the less her memory will lapse. Right now her memories are zig zagging back and forth trying to determine who she is now. We need to remind her and be incalculably patient with Ariel. Frustration will only upset her and she won't want to make the effort."

"So we take turns," Shellsa put in.

Cora nodded.

"Corin's first. Then me and so on."

"But -"

"It will be easier this way," the sister interjected heatedly, glaring reproachfully at the ruler. "Corin, you are wanted in the presence chamber on a daily basis," she added. "Someone has to talk to the people until we can be sure she is ready to be crowned."

Shellsa soon reappeared carrying a steaming silver goblet.

"Here we go," she said to Cora. "Mild sedative, just what you asked for."

Corin helped his betrothed sit up then held the heavy goblet to her lips.

"Drink up, Sweeting," he told her. "That's it, good girl, good girl."

OoO

Days went by. It saddened the Cecaelians to see their princess struggle to readjust back into her world. Simple things such as looking into a mirror had been quickly proven difficult.

Cora, believing it would be fine, allowed her friend to look into the mirror in her and Corin's chambers.

At first the princesses' reaction had been nothing one would consider odd then all Hell broke loose. Teeth bared, the Cecaelia growled savagely at the reflection before her then attacked the glass, smashing it into shards whilst the others stayed away, watching her every move with bated breath.

Confused, Ariel stared at the ruined glass beneath her floating figure then looked to her family and betrothed, eyes wide and bewildered.

"Wha-" she began.

With a heavy sigh, Corin moved toward her.

"You've been resurrected," he reminded her gently, placing his hands on her arms. "This is your new body.'

Ariel frowned at him, opening her mouth to protest. She stopped.

"Mer people … War?"

Corin nodded.

"Yes."

The woman put a hand to her head. She looked down at her bleeding hands then at the shattered remainders of the mirror.

"It's fine," Cora said quickly. "You had freight; the mirror can be easily fixed."

"Come on," Corin coaxed, slipping an arm around her small shoulders. "We'll sit down while you have a breather, eh?"

Ariel nodded, letting him take her to their clam.

"Corin, have you checked her hands?" Cora asked, warily maintaining her distance.

"They're fine."

Ariel closed her eyes, relaxing into Corin's body.

His lips brushed against her head.

"Are you tired?" he asked her.

The woman shook her head.

"Tell me everything again," she murmured. "Just once more."

_**End of flashback**_

Two months had past since then. The princess now had attained a good eighty percent control of her mind and given time and patience, Cora told her she would have full control of it.

"It's hard, I know," the empress said to Ariel one day when she felt as if she were going to tear her hair out. "Rather then telling yourself that you're Ariel the Cecaelia, you must try focusing on what's happening this very moment, thus allowing the rest to fall into place. It's difficult, but others have found that it works."

Apart from controlling her wandering memories, Ariel discovered that due to spending such a long time in a dissimilar body, movement had become a profound convolution. She could remember _how_ to be in motion, but actually getting all ten of her tentacles moving in the apposite direction was quite the Herculean undertaking, she had fallen unceremoniously flat on her face at least fifty times already.

Another problem she had to put up with was involuntary biting. Her sharp teeth were fast becoming quite bothersome. More times then she'd care to remember she would forget herself and accidentally bite down on her tongue or lower lip, thus spilling blood down her chin.

This, everyone promised her frequently, would pass in time. She would just have to learn how to be a Cecaelia all over again.

She smelt him before he touched her. Closing her eyes, Ariel leaned back against his chest.

"How are you?" he asked her, hands closing over her small arms.

"Better."

He kissed her shoulder.

"Good."

"How is-Ow!"

"What happened?"

"I bit my tongue again."

Corin laughed into her hair.

"It isn't that funny!" she complained heatedly. "I've been doing it all week!"

"No, it's not funny … It's hysterical!"

Furious, Ariel whipped around.

"Why you …"

She tried to slap him but he was too fast, avoiding her hands effortlessly by flying to the other side of the chamber.

"Cretin!" she spat.

He laughed.

The attack soon turned into a game.

Ariel moved clumsily, only just managed to keep up with him until he smoothly sailed past her, goading her playfully.

When feeling that enough was enough, the Cecaelia decided it was time to trap her tormentor.

The princess hid behind the pink sea vine wall, covering her mouth with a hand in order to suppress her giggles and laboured breathing.

"Where are you?" Corin called out before too long.

She licked her lips, concentrating.

The monarch was just about to give up when hot pink vines from all directions wrapped around his arms, holding him still.

"Pinned you!" she called out gaily, proudly emerging from her hiding place. "Nona taught me how to do that."

He glared at her.

"Are you going to hit me, woman?" he asked, peeved he had lost to his betrothed in only a few short moments.

The woman shook her head.

"I'm going to let you go," she told him quietly.

The vines slowly released their prey.

Corin arched an eyebrow.

"And …?"

He waited.

A coquettish smile graced the princess's ample mouth.

"Catch me if you can," she teased in an excited whisper and leapt away from him.

He went for her, she dodged, grinning smugly.

"You're getting better," he remarked and lunged forward.

"I've been practising," she answered zealously, moving only just out of reach.

Corin tried to catch her again and again and still she managed to escape him.

Suddenly Ariel had enough of this game.

She squirted black ink at Corin, thus blinding him.

"Now if I just …" Concentrating, she forced her tentacles to gather then push her body forward.

She laughed, gliding to the centre of the chamber.

She had done it.

There was a frustrated snarl coming from behind and below her.

Ariel rolled her eyes.

Feeling an almost dizzying sense of exultation, she sprung forward, leaving Corin and the chamber behind her.

_**Outside the Cecaelian realm, former mer people colony.**_

Effortlessly the Cecaelian woman sped through her realm, laughing and crying at the elation she felt as her powerful body surged onwards.

Where Corin was she did not know. All she could comprehend was that she was whole again. She was no longer clumsy.

OoO

The princess had no idea of how far she had gone when she came to a sudden halt.

Ariel's nostrils flared as she sniffed.

Her lips twitched.

Corin appeared, floating by her side, watching her closely.

"Ariel?" he addressed cautiously.

She said nothing to indicate that she was aware of his presence. Her entire face was riddled with confusion.

He moved to take her arm.

"We shouldn't be here," the monarch told his intended carefully. "It isn't safe."

Ariel flicked her tongue across her lips. Her nostrils flared and quivered.

"Ariel?"

"This is it," she whispered, hair on the back of her neck raising. "This is where I died."

Corin pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath.

"Yes," he told her.

As if cold, Ariel began to rub her arms with her hands. Corin put a protective arm around her shoulders, drawing her to his side.

"It doesn't matter anymore," he murmured. "Come away. It isn't safe,"

Without warning, Ariel snarled ferociously and shrugged him off.

"Don't Molly Coddle me!" she shouted at him. "It matters to me!"

Corin backed off, holding up his hands to show he would not get in her way.

"Alright …. We'll stay," he said, hoping to appease her. "We'll stay as long as you need to."

Scowling at him, the woman nodded.

"Good," she said icily. "Good."

Ariel abruptly swam toward a cliff, stopping near the edge then gazing about herself, sniffing the air.

"Here," she stated. "I can smell my blood."

Corin's upper lip twitched yet he did not respond.

"They dragged me to this spot. I couldn't struggle very well. My tentacles had been cut off."

"Yes," he replied warily, bowing his head. "They sent them to us."

Ariel licked her lips.

"Kunama," she said softly.

"What of her?"

"She and Circa had… They had been captured with me. They thought they'd found a safe place to hide but we had been betrayed. The mer men surrounded us."

"And?"

Ariel frowned, trying to remember.

"Kunama and Circa were separated from me," she told him, her brow furrowing deeper still. "I never saw them again until …"

"Until when?"

The Cecaelia's face fell. Her lips peeled apart to form words but she could not speak.

"Little Queen?"

"Kunama and Circa lied," she told him at last, suddenly breathless. "They lied. After the mer men led me here, Kunama came to me; she-she told me she and Circa had sworn themselves to Merjorca … that our children and I were to be their sacrifice, that the mer people had given them protection in exchange for my soul."

Ariel sunk to the ground.

"They were my friends!" she whispered, eyes bulging outward, shaking involuntarily. "They were my friends!"

Corin waited for the hyperventilating to subside before daring to put a hand on his mate's shoulder.

"There's nothing we can do about that now," he told the woman sombrely. "We cannot find Circa and Kunama, but the men who killed you have been dealt with."

He pulled her to her full height, holding her to him.

"It doesn't matter anymore. You've returned and Kali is alive."

Ariel smiled wanly.

"Kali," she murmured.

He kissed her forehead.

"Do you want to see her?"

She nodded.

_**The Cecaelian realm, Kali's chambers**_

Ariel's already incandescent face was shining with an even greater luminosity as she cradled the glass orb in her arms.

"You are beautiful," she told the infant inside, timorously stroking the glass with a fingertip. "So beautiful." She then looked to Cora and Shellsa.

"Can she come out yet?" she asked hopefully. "She looks strong enough."

"I don't see why not," Cora told Ariel. "Be mindful that we haven't moved her. She'll make a nice bit of a racket once she comes out, you may want to stuff your hair in your ears."

OoO

"Start rubbing the orb as hard as you can," Shellsa told her mate and his sister efficiently. "The heat from your palms should get the surface to mitigate then melt into the child's skin."

"You're putting glass into my daughter's body?" Ariel demanded disbelievingly.

"Not glass, nourishment," Cora explained. "Trust me, she'll need it."

"Is she ill?" Corin asked the empress, frowning.

"As far as we can tell, no, but she's still changing. She won't be a full-fledged Cecaelia for another year or so. It's only right that we take precautions."

"You can thank the sister's for that," Shellsa growled cuttingly under her breath. "Her lungs are still undeveloped."

"She'll be right," Sorja grunted reassuringly whilst rubbing. "She's a right little toughie like her mum."

"Still the little charmer, I see," the queen to be murmured with a wry smirk. "I'm surprised that Shellsa even puts up with you."

Sorja looked up from his task and beamed sweetly in Ariel's direction.

"You two couldn't stand life without me."

"True, true," Shellsa agreed sardonically. "You're the answer to all our problems."

"He certainly is, Shellsa," Ariel quipped. "Who needs to be a free thinking woman while he's around?"

Cora giggled.

Corin rolled his eyes.

"After all these years you still can't keep your eyes off him, can you?" he grumbled.

Ariel turned to him.

"Jealous?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No."

The princess playfully shoved him away from her.

"Liar. I chose you," she told her betrothed, smiling confidently up at him. "Stop worrying."

"Yeah brothe, she's not my type. Too high maintenance."

Ariel snorted.

"I can remember you telling me that I was high maintenance once, Sorja," Shellsa remarked matter-of-factly.

The emperor groaned.

"Before you all start squabbling over your sordid past, just remember that we have a wedding to prepare for," Cora reminded them. 'No fighting or joining suckers till the wedding night."

"And a coronation," Shellsa added. "Let's not forget about the coronation," she sing songed.

Ariel had forgotten that she had to be re-introduced back to her people.

'_At least I'll have a wedding night to look forward to,' she thought. 'I'll be on heat in a few days and_-'

Suddenly subdued, the princess lowered her gaze to her inferior body, closely examining the polished ebony and dark opal tentacles.

'_I wonder if these babies will survive?'_

"Almost there," Sorja rasped, faced perspiring.

"Light weight," Corin muttered teasingly into his mate's neck and hair.

"Eh, I can sodding well hear you!" Sorja snapped irately.

Ariel was too caught up in waiting for her daughter's arrival to notice any of the repartee between the siblings.

She could feel her body tense then tremble beneath Corin's hands, her heart battering like wings in her chest. She could feel her delicate nostrils flare as they eagerly searched for her offspring's scent.

She couldn't find it.

She smelt humans … Eric, Mer people and something else-No, this couldn't be right.

She was imagining things.

She was being silly.

There was no way in ….

Her tongue seeped out of her mouth, wetting her lips.

Corin subtly tightened his hold.

The once circular shield orb had recently taken on a more human shape, now it was beginning to look more like a Cecaelia.

"She's sprouted again," Shellsa commented, noting the four new tentacles. "She's definitely your daughter, Ariel."

Corin rubbed her arms.

"She's going to be dazzling," he whispered.

Ariel could barely comprehend what he had said to her. The previous keenness she had felt was changing into unwelcome and rising consternation.

Before her very eyes, a soaking wet, fat, black and grey Cecaelia child was being spanked lightly on its bottom.

"Breathe," Corin whispered massaging her arms. "Just breathe."

Ariel's lips twitched anxiously, her nostrils flared.

"Open her mouth," Cora told her brother. "She has gunk in there, we need to get her to cough and throw up."

"Goddess!" Ariel whispered sharply.

Corin frowned.

"She's breathing," Shellsa assured from over her shoulder, "Just not as well as we would like."

"Smack her back this time," Cora said tersely to Sorja. "Not too hard. The spine is still fragile."

The babe was lying face down in her aunt and uncle's hands, blue tinged lips quivering like a bowstring.

Smack.

The lips peeled apart. There was a faint dry, wheezing sound.

Ariel flinched.

Smack.

The uttered cry was frail, raspy. The little Cecaelia opened her mouth wide coughed, threw up, coughed then cried again. The unprepossessing blue quickly departed her lips. Her skin tone changed from its unhealthy grey to a stunning, shiny, snow white.

The child bellowed angrily.

"Goddess, she's not happy," Sorja muttered under his breath.

"Go and check the well," Shellsa hissed, digging him in the rib cage with her elbow. "They'll want to know."

Cooing, Cora cuddled the maddened Kali then carried her to Corin and Ariel.

"This is your daughter," she told her friend merrily. "She's been waiting for you."

The baby gave a shrill screech thus intimidating her mother so much Ariel recoiled, eyes wide and unnerved.

Cora frowned questioningly at her.

"Ariel?"

Corin eyed both mother and the baby warily.

"She can sense your fear," he told his mate seriously. "You need to calm down and feed her."

Ariel's lips, without any warning at all, began to peel back. This time Cora was the one who recoiled, clutching the child protectively to her bosom.

The princess bared her pearlescent teeth and gave a foreboding snarl.

The infant began to scream.

Ariel snarled again and stiffened, preparing to strike.

"Go!" Corin barked at his sibling. "She isn't ready yet, go!"

Both Cora and the child vanished thus leaving Ariel and Corin alone. Shaking with fury Ariel leapt away from her mate.

Corin promptly darted after her, binding her by snaking a tentacle around her slim waist.

"Let go!" Ariel roared, struggling as he reeled her in.

"So you can kill her?" Corin demanded.

The woman spat at him then bucked.

"I know why you're afraid of her," Corin said, watching Ariel wrestle to unfetter herself. "I know what she smells like. Now stop whinging so we can talk about the problem rationally."

The Cecaelia swore at him.

Corin smirked sarcastically.

"That's pretty piss poor, Little Queen," he remarked dryly. "I've heard worse come from that mouth of yours. Are we going to do this the easy way or do I have to force you to see reason?"

Ariel threw her body backwards and screamed.

"I told you to stop it!" Corin stated firmly. "Temper tantrums won't work on me so calm down!"

Burning with unbridled ferocity, Ariel brutally dove forward, spinning them in a frenetic circle.

Annoyed, Corin threw another appendage around his mate, this time encircling her neck.

squeezing it, he managed to cause the woman to falter and slow.

Using the other tentacle around her waist, the Cecaelian tugged the woman closer to him and wrapped himself snugly around her.

Knowing that she was being dominated, Ariel bucked and rolled.

She could not get rid of him.

"Will you please get off me?" she demanded scathingly.

"I thought you liked me on top."

"Corin …"

"I'm not going anywhere till you've calmed down!"

"Bastard!"

"Bitch."

"Get off me!"

"Stop acting like a child! It was very sweet when you were a mermaid and a human but you are neither of those now. You are mine and you will do as you are told!"

"I don't belong to anyone but me you stupid fool!" she snapped.

Ariel slammed backwards into a wall. Corin grunted in pain but refused to lessen his grip.

Feeling trapped, the royal repeated the action again and again.

"Get off!" she hollered. "Get off!"

Still he would not leave her.

Finally, the princess slipped to the floor, landing with a muted, shattered whump.

The Cecaelian ruler remained where he was for Goddess knew how long. When he heard her breathing ease back into what was close to its customary pattern, he loosened his binds.

"I know," he soothed, combing his fingers through the shimmering curls. "I know."

Ariel shuddered.

"She smells like the mer people." he told her softly, "That's why you were afraid, wasn't it? That's why you lashed out."

"Ye-yes," she stammered. "She reeks of them … But …"

"We'll wash her," Corin added before she could finish. "We'll cleanse the scent off her then you can try to nurse her."

Ariel whimpered.

"Come now," he whispered coaxingly. "You've been waiting for this. You can't give up."

The woman squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a shuddering breath.

"You can do this. You're not alone."

She swallowed.

"I'll try again," she whispered feebly. "I'll try again after our wedding."

"And the coronation," he reminded amusedly.

She laughed faintly.

"Yes, and that blasted coronation."

The princess rolled around, looking up at him.

"You can let me go now," she told Corin softly. "I'm not going to go for her jugular again."

He nodded.

"I _could_ let you go," he agreed. "But how do you feel about cunnilingus?"

She gave him an intrigued look.

"I thought Cora said not until after the wedding."

"That was mating; she didn't say anything about fucking."

"Oh … oh! Well that's …. That's very true." She licked her lips.

"Not here," she told him after a moment's consideration.

"I'm not that disturbed, Little Queen."

"Corin, just go!"

'I was merely explaining to you that I'm not a disturbing old git."

"And I am merely explaining to you that unless you want me to go frigid you should take us to our chambers right now."

"Oi!" he said, trying not to laugh at her. "I was only joshing. You have no idea how much I've missed bickering with you."

Rolling her eyes, the woman pulled herself up, folding her arms cautiously across her chest.

"I'm wet and waiting," Ariel told her betrothed unequivocally. "Do you really want to talk about the past, Corin? It's completely up to you."

He pondered this carefully.

"Corin!" the princess cried.

"Beg."

She stared at him, totally caught off guard.

"What?"

"Beg."

"I'm not begging! You're not that good."

"I am that good. I remember quite clearly you telling me only recently that I was your new God."

"I must have been inebriated," she muttered wiping her hair from her eyes.

"No," he contradicted, "but you did have the best excuse in the book. You were still a mer woman."

"You're mad," Ariel told Corin, grinning despite her frustration and astonishment. "You're mad and gorgeous."

"Stating the obvious does not constitute as grovelling, Little Queen. I want you to beg me to fuck you till you want to die."

"Oh, so you _are_ disturbed!"

He groaned exasperatedly.

"Sado Masochistic," she continued indolently. "We used to be good at that."

"Maybe we can re-educate each other?"

"Maybe."

"Are we leaving or not?"

"I thought you wanted me to beg?"

"Ariel!"

"We're going, we're going."

_**Cora and Orion's chambers**_

"How is the littlie?" Orion asked his mate, settling his chin on her shoulder whilst she played with the baby.

"Better now she's had a feed," Cora answered quietly and picked up the child, holding her up in the air and spinning in a circle. "Yes you are, aren't you my sweet pea?"

Kali squealed joyfully.

"And her mother?" Orion pressed. "Why did she attack the child?"

Cora put Kali down.

"Ariel is still having trouble with her memories," the empress explained, eyes remaining on the infant. "She forgets and then she remembers. Her problem is nowhere near as bad as it was two months ago, but certain things can set in the wrong direction. She sees the humans as foreigners. an invasion. The idea of ever being in love with one is sometimes preposterous to her and then it isn't. She's also frightened of mer people. Even after all this time her memories are still leaving her confused and afraid. I think she could smell mer people on Kali and Erik thus why she became aggressive"

"So what do we do now? The baby needs its mother."

"Kali has to be bathed. The smells Ariel associates with us have to replace the scents Kali carries on her person." Cora shrugged. "It's nothing too difficult."

"And what if you can't replace them? What if Ariel rejects her again, Cora? Are you going to chain her to a wall and force her to bond with her daughter?"

The empress pursed her lips.

"I really don't know."

Orion pressed his lips against her shoulder.

"I'll see you later?" he asked.

She nodded, smiling at him.

"You will."

As soon as Orion had left, Cora picked up the child and held her before her.

_**Ariel and Corin's chambers**_

Ariel gasped wantonly as they rolled about the bed in a sweaty tangled mess.

"I thought you just wanted plain old cunnilingus?" she panted.

"Thought we'd have a bit of foreplay first," Corin rasped.

"Your back-"

"Is fine."

She kissed him fiercely.

"How about we elope?" Ariel asked after the kiss had been broken. "Sod the propaganda. We could leave tonight with Nona then come back married."

"Ariel-"

"Please!" the princess urged. "Corin you know that I hate all that pompous buggerising around, can't we just leave and do this on our own?"

Tap, tap, tap.

Ariel groaned and smacked a hand to her forehead.

"Corin, raise the lid or I will."

The monarch swore under his breath.

"Please don't," Ariel beseeched him.

"Raise the lid."

"Corin …"

Before he could say anything to pacify his mate, the lid few up.

"Out," Cora said flatly, staring at the pair like an angered parent. "You know the rules, brother. You can't be with her till the wedding."

"And coronation," Shellsa added.

Ariel glared at them, utterly enraged.

"We weren't doing anything! You had absolutely no right to intrude!" she snapped irately.

"Ariel, we have to follow this tradition," Cora reminded gently. "Royals do not elope nor are they intimate a week before the wedding."

"And coronation," Shellsa added.

Corin put an arm around Ariel's diminutive shoulders, squeezing her arm affectionately.

"It will only be for a week," he told her. "Then we'll have forever. You know we will."

The princess nodded, biting her lip.

He kissed the side of her head.

"I love you," he whispered.

Ariel tried to smile.

"I guess I will see you when they see fit to let me," she replied quietly.

"Get a grip, Ariel," Cora muttered rolling her eyes.

As soon as he was gone, Cora cracked her knuckles.

"Let's get to work!" she said gleefully.

"I'll get the oysters and wine," Shellsa said, eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

"Don't forget the boiled sea weed balls and lobster," Cora reminded her as she swam off. "And yabbie tails, I won't forgive you if you forget the yabbie tails."

"Are we having a banquet?" Ariel asked Cora, tucking tresses of strawberry blond behind her ear.

"Yes. Nona and her daughters Susannah, Nim, Mischa and Jola are coming."

"No males allowed?"

"For the next week, no males allowed," Cora stated promptly. "Whilst Sorja and Orion keep Corin occupied, we are all going to wait on you hand and limb and turn you into the most beautiful bride imaginable."

"Again."

"Again."

OoO

The princess lay back against the clam bed, biting into the bluish grey, slimy flesh of a yabbie tail.

"Bet you miss eating fish?" Shellsa said on her right side.

"Mmm," Ariel agreed. "It has been too long."

"Good thing we can breed our own food here," Cora quipped. "I've never wholly approved of Triton's anti fish consumption law," she wrinkled her nose. "Living on kelp and sea weed has never appealed to me."

Nona and her daughters murmured in agreement.

Ariel said nothing.

"Mer people are naturally herbivores," Shellsa added. "And they have a tail of a fish. It is easy to understand why he is so protective."

"They say his queen was killed by a fisherman's harpoon," Nim said. "Is that true, Ariel?"

The dowager princess shook her head.

"I can't remember, sorry."

Cora sat up.

"Would you …" she began then stopped.

Shellsa stiffened.

"What?" Ariel asked, frowning at the empress.

"What she's trying to ascertain is would you be alright if we took you to see Kali?" Shellsa reported casually, ignoring Cora's venomous glare.

It was Ariel's turn to stiffen.

"It's alright," Nona said, patting the princesses back. "We don't have to. It can wait."

"I almost …" Ariel stopped, wetting her lips. "I wanted to kill her. She smelt like them … Like him."

"Eric and the mer people?"

The princess nodded.

"I hate them!" she seethed quietly.

"The scents are gone," Cora told her reassuringly. "I've been bathing Kali. She doesn't smell of them anymore and she does want to see you."

The woman trembled.

"No pressure," Nona promised, rubbing Ariel's back.

"No pressure at all," Jola added. "Just think about it. You'll have six whole days, that's plenty of time."

"Forget about Eric and the others," Cora insisted firmly. "Kali doesn't look anything like him. She's your daughter. She is all you and you have every right to claim her as your own. Eric doesn't get to have a say in this, not anymore, and the mer people will not harm her."

The dowager princess nodded her head slowly.

"I'm stupid for being afraid of her," she admitted delicately. "And not all mer people are complete sadists," she quickly added, smiling at Shellsa.

"So you will see her?" Cora asked curiously.

Ariel nodded.

"Tomorrow," she said, feeling her gut progressively tauten. "Can I see her tomorrow?"

_**Kali's chambers**_

"Wait with Nona and Shellsa," Cora told Ariel. "I'll get her for you."

"This is just a precaution," Shellsa told the woman taking hold of her arms.

"Nothing to worry about," Nona added.

"Oh, you think I'm going to go for her jugular again, you're being very reassuring," Ariel muttered, peeved.

"Ariel, shush!"

Ariel could not help but wait for the series of smells that had driven her away from the baby in the first place. Her nose twitched and her jaw clenched.

There was a soft aroma. Sweet and musky, like wood smoke and vanilla.

Her lips parted and she ran her tongue across them, tasting the air.

"Here she is," Cora announced happily, cradling a sleeping Kali to her breast.

"Nothing to be afraid of," Nona said benevolently. "She won't get upset. Just breathe."

The princess eyed the child cagily, making no effort to go near her.

"She smells …" she frowned.

"What does she smell like?" Nona asked.

A timid smile spread over the woman's lips.

"Like a baby," she told her minders shyly. "Like my baby."

Shellsa and Nona stared at each other then beamed at Cora.

"Can she hold her?" Shellsa asked the empress.

Cora hesitated.

"Can you?" she asked Ariel. "I only wanted to let you smell her."

The woman nodded earnestly.

"I want to hold her. I'm not angry anymore."

Cora debated this.

"I'm ready!"

"We can hold her tentacles," Nona suggested. "That way if anything should happen we'll be able to hold her back."

Cora licked her lips.

"Alright … Alright. I think we can do this … But I am going to be in front of you the whole time, do you understand me, Ariel?"

"Crystal clear," the princess replied promptly.

With bated breath, Cora carefully relinquished the babe to its mother.

While still being only a few weeks of age, Kali hardly seemed babyish.

The child had unquestionably developed since Ariel had last seen her. The dark red hair had grown past her shoulders and the chubbiness covering her tiny body was changing into lean and hard muscle.

Nestled in her mother's arms, Kali woke then cooed dulcetly at Ariel.

"You are adorable," the princess whispered, enchanted.

The baby cooed again.

With Cora right beside her, Ariel sat on a rock, cradling her daughter, gigging as the infant gurgled and tried to eat her hair.

"I'm sorry I stopped loving you," she whispered. "I won't do that again, I promise."

The princess looked up at the other women, her face proud and triumphant.

"I want to feed her," she told Cora. "Is she too old to-"

"No, she's not too old," the empress said, pleasantly surprised with Ariel's progress.

She sat next to her.

"You need to expose the nipple so she can drink," she explained. "Can you remember how to do that?"

"Remind me, please."

"Just slowly, gently squeeze the breast, that's it. Squeeze some more. A little more … And … There we are."

Ariel looked down in amusement at the black nipple that had been hiding in her bosom. It was exactly the same as a human nipple only less wrinkly.

"Guide her head to the teat. Good, now let her do the rest."

The little one instinctively latched onto the nipple and quickly began to suckle.

"She's so smart!" Ariel exclaimed breathlessly, supporting her daughter's head.

"She is," Cora agreed. "We do need to be careful for awhile nevertheless. Kali still needs to go into an orb, that's only due to poor lung development. Other then that, your little girl is pretty much perfect."

Ariel closed her eyes, thanking the Goddess her fears had not come to light.

'_Go,'_ Cora told the group of women mentally. _'I have something to ask Ariel,'_

Nona frowned. Shellsa and her nieces hesitated.

'_Go,'_

Licking her lips, Cora turned back to her friend, watching the mother continue to dote on the child.

"You've been thinking about Kunama quite a bit," she remarked casually.

Ariel said nothing.

"We're best friends."

The princess stiffened.

"Don't," she whispered tersely.

"We're best friends. That means we tell each other about our feelings, secrets, anything, Ariel."

Ariel shook her head.

"Not this," she muttered under her breath. "I'm not sharing this with anyone."

"Then why did you let me in on your fear?" Cora demanded. "Kunama has something to do with the reason why you attacked Kali. Stop denying it."

"That was a mistake. A simple mistake. You weren't supposed to see anything."

"Well I did. It's obviously something you're too scared to tell Corin about. So tell me why you thought of Kunama when you saw Kali?"

"Please just leave it," Ariel begged desperately. "Kali doesn't smell terrible anymore and I'm not going to harm her. Please let me forget!"

"No."

"Please!"

"No!"

Ariel glared fiercely at the empress, clutching the babe protectively to her breast.

Cora was amazed Kali hadn't started bawling.

"Fine," Corin's betrothed growled through clenched white teeth. "But you _are_ going to think I'm going around the twist."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Ariel swallowed hard, biding her time with hesitation.

Cora was having none of it.

"I said tell me what's wrong!" she snapped.

"Alright!" the princess cried, frantic. "Alright."

She raked a hand through her hair, struggling to find the right words.

"I smelt Kunama," she admitted to Cora, her voice rough.

"On Kali?"

The dowager princess nodded slowly.

"Yes. She reeked of her, Eric and the mer people."

"Ariel … Kunama hasn't been anywhere near here. What you are saying is just impossible."

"Don't you think I know that?" Ariel demanded. "Cora, I can't tell you what became of Kunama and Circa after my death but I can tell you that Kunama's stench was there on my child!"

"How come the others and I couldn't smell it?"

Ariel shook her head helplessly.

"I don't know. But I'm not lying about this. Her scent was all over Kali."

Cora reached out, stroking Ariel's hair.

"Corin told me Kunama and Circa sacrificed Baarj and Kali to Merjorca," she murmured. "Maybe your mind had a, well … maybe it had a bit of a mad moment and it made you believe you were attacking Kunama out of self defence?"

Ariel laughed bitterly.

"That hardly makes sense."

The empress shrugged.

"It's the only answer I have available to me I'm afraid, Ariel," she answered ruefully. "Are you going to tell Corin about this?"

"When I'm feeling ready," the other woman replied evenly. "I think if I said anything to him right now he'd want my head cut open."

"It would never come to that," Cora promised quickly. "We've all grown used to converted Cecaelians and understand that you all have certain issues that have to be carefully dealt with. You will not be subjected to anything so severe."

Relieved to have been able to share her secret Ariel rested her head on her best friends shoulder and smiled down at the now sleeping infant.

_**The surface, the palace**_

Prince Eric's wife, the princess Genevieve, rested a hand on her distended belly as she left her chamber seeking fresh air.

Sighing softly, the woman sat down on a stone chaise lounge and closed her eyes.

"How is everything?"

Not in the least bit start bit startled by the voice, Genevieve opened her eyes and turned her head in the direction of the speaker.

"Corin," she greeted happily.

Smiling faintly at her, he helped Genevieve to her feet and kissed her cheeks in greeting.

"Everything is well," the woman told him, letting him help her sit. "I can't complain."

"The prince is looking after you?"

She whacked him playfully on the arm.

"_Corin_, I already told you I can't complain!"

"But …"

"What? I'm fine."

He arched an eyebrow.

"There's always something, Genevieve."

Genevieve licked her lips.

"Well?"

"I am so happy here and Eric … He's lovely. He really is lovely. He adores me and forever dotes on our children." She paused. "But I if I must be honest … I miss my family."

Corin squeezed her arm gently.

"As soon as the prince draws his last breath and your children have no need of you, you can return to us, Genevieve. that is a promise."

The woman nodded.

"I believe you. Though my heart aches for them, I would not willingly leave Eric's side, not even if I was offered a chance."

"So his love is not unrequited?"

"Oddly enough, no. We've given love to each other. I know, on Eric's part, that it is mostly because I and our sons saved his kingdom, but I think I can deem that his love is genuine. Goddess … He makes me so happy."

She then laughed gaily, bright eyes sparkling.

"How is Ariel?" Genevieve then asked enquiringly. "The last I heard was that she had been crowned a dowager princess."

"My betrothed is well. She survived her transformation."

"Her mind is intact?"

The image of Ariel wanting to tear Kali's throat out flashed before Corin's eyes, he winced inwardly and dismissed it, not wanting to disturb Genevieve into an early labour.

"Ariel has had difficulties adjusting, but she's handling it very well now," he confessed carefully. "It shouldn't be long till she's back to her old self."

"Yes, it doesn't take long," Genevieve agreed and gently stroked her belly.

"Does Eric think about her?" Corin asked.

Genevieve hesitated at first then nodded.

"I daresay he misses her. But … I do not believe my husband would willingly take her back." The woman paused again. "Forgive my forthrightness but do you think Ariel wishes she had chosen to remain with him?"

Corin shook his head.

"She knows where her heart lies now," he murmured, staring at the twinkling universe before them. "I will admit that a part of her will always love Eric, but she has found peace. No, Genevieve, I do not believe she will willingly leave me or our people."

The princess nodded sagely in acceptance. Corin could not help but sense some relief on the woman's part and realised that despite her honest well wishes, Genevieve would not be pleased should Ariel ever wish to reclaim her former husband.

'_Thank the Goddess that's not likely to happen,'_ he thought sarcastically.

"Again, I am happy for you and I am happy for her," Genevieve murmured. "The Queen has been separated from you and her people for far too long. I-"

"Genevieve? Are you out there?"

"Forgive me," the Cecaelia turned human whispered. She swiftly glanced over her shoulder at the entrance of the chambers she shared with the prince then turned to her visitor, putting a small hand on his arm.

"Corin, unless you want to speak with Eric …"

"No, I do not intend to see him. It was only you I wished to see."

He rose to his feet, taking Genevieve with him.

"Call for me when your time here is over," he instructed the princess gently. "You should not have to stay any longer then what is necessary."

She nodded.

"I will. Tell my family that I love and miss them, please."  
He kissed her forehead.

"As if I would forget to do that for you," he told her affectionately. "Go back inside Genevieve and keep warm."

Then he was gone.

_**The Cecaelian realm, Ariel and Corin's chambers**_

It was the day of the ceremonies. First would be the coronation which would be closely followed by the more intimate wedding where only intimate friends and members of the royal family would be allowed to attend.

Corin had been informed that his reincarnated betrothed had finally re-established a loving relationship with his adopted daughter and was thrilled, insisting that the child share the day with them.

Ariel sat quietly in front of Cora's opulent mirror, trying not to pay any head to the Cecaelian empress's frequent curses and grumbles as she dressed her hair with jewelled ropes and pearls.

"I think I preferred your hair when you were a mer woman," Cora complained trying to keep a curl from twisting out of place. "I've forgotten how rebellious it can be."

"I wish I could magically get it done!" Ariel replied grumpily, Cora's frustration finally getting to her.

"You're not a witch," Shellsa reminded the princess. "You're an alpha Cecaelia, but you're not a witch."

"Don't remind me," Ariel huffed. "Why do witches get to have all the fun?"

There was a pause.

"Ariel, Ursula and Morgana nearly killed you. Kunama betrayed you to the mer people."

The princess stiffened all over. Her face reddened with embarrassment.

"I forgot," she mumbled, ashamed.

Cora squeezed the woman's arm.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

Ariel hung her head.

"Sometimes I forget my memories and then I remember hers," she whispered sadly.

"Hers?" Shellsa asked.

"The old me. The mer woman. I remember Eric. How I used to love him. How horrible it was when he threatened Kali and betrayed me … I remember Triton and his daughters." She frowned, staring at her hands clasped in her lap. "But nothing's-nothing is consistent or constant. I can't always focus on what's happening here and now, and I really, really just want to focus."

"One day everything in your head will settle down," Cora said after a lengthy pause. "You will be content and happy. Until then you must not let this perplexity upset you. It is going to pass, Ariel. You just need patience."

Ariel laughed.

"When have you ever known me to be patient, Cora?"

"Good question."

_**The presence chamber.**_

From behind the weighty pink vines, Ariel listened attentively to Nona speak to the vast audience of Cecaelian people she knew would be waiting for her on the other side.

The hairs on the exposed back of her neck rose. Her body tingled with nerves.

"_I can't believe this is happening again,'_ she thought. _'I'm not even feeling déjà vu.'_

The protocol was the same. She had to be crowned then presented to the people, then after the wedding, Kali would take the title of first princess.

The people had been hesitant when it came to agreeing to let Kali be their first princess till Corin and his siblings put it to them that since the Goddess had adopted the child she had every right to the title. They also added that although Kali had been born to a mer woman and a human father rather then two Cecaelian parents, her true parentage should have little impact due to the fact her mother had been a pure Cecaelia and favourite of the Goddess prior to the attack that led to her execution and conversion of her soul.

"Ready?"

Ariel looked to Nona and nodded.

"I am."

With guards on either side of her, she followed Nona into the grand chamber.

Corin was the first her eyes were to fall upon. He smiled faintly in her direction and nodded respectively to his niece.

Licking her lips, the princess waited quietly for the solemn procession to begin.

Nona and her fellow priests and priestesses began to hum softly and sweetly, it was the same wordless melody they had performed at her previous coronations. It was a song about Vorlorna. A simple melody about the divine love the deity bestowed upon her people.

Goddess, how she wanted to cry.

It was so beautiful to hear it with her own ears again.

Abruptly, the graceful tune switched to the male priests guttural chanting. The ugly cacophony swelled around Ariel like an invisible whirlpool of sound. The princess made a slight face of discontentment then focused on the crowd before her, determined to ignore it.

The chant was necessary for it was about the strength of the Goddess, and as much as she detested the positively abysmal sound, she daren't commit any remonstration against it.

The chant continued for a good half hour, coming to a close with a fantastic howl.

Nona approached Ariel. Taking her hand, she escorted her to where Corin and his siblings sat.

"Do you take this woman as your chosen queen?" the head priestess asked Corin.

"I do," Corin replied sagely.

She turned to Cora and Sorja.

"Do you accept this woman as your queen?" she asked her mother and uncle.

"We do," they replied in sombre unison.

"Do you accept this man as your king?" Nona asked Ariel.

"I do," the woman answered, grateful her voice rang out clear and steady.

Satisfied with the responses she had been given, Nona turned to her people. The group of Cecaelians bowed to her then handed the woman a steaming silver goblet with a pinnacle studded with small-uncut yellow topazes.

"Imbibe the blood of your mother," she instructed Ariel sagely. "And may it give you the acumen required to guide and care for her people."

The princess dutifully obeyed.

The liquid she had been asked to intake into her body tasted like warm whale milk.

'_Exactly as I remember,'_ she thought handing the empty chalice back to Nona.

The priestess beckoned for Corin to come forth.

"You have shown your readiness to take this woman as your queen," Nona said. "I, Nona, high priestess of the Goddess ask you to make her so."

A priest came forth bearing a diminutive silver diadem. Tiny sapphires, diamonds and emeralds winked cheerily back at the princess. The convoluted silver setting seemed so fragile, Ariel feared it would fall apart at any given moment.

Face indecipherable, Corin took the crown from the priest and held it above her head then looked to Nona, waiting.

The priestess nodded.

The coronet felt heavy and unfamiliar on Ariel's head.

She took a deep breath, trying to gather herself.

Nona squeezed her hand.

'It's nearly over,' she told her mentally. 'Now face your people."

_**Cora's chambers**_

"I don't understand why I have to be dragged back in here!" Ariel snapped whilst trying to wrestle herself out of the unbelievably tight grip of Shellsa and Nona.

"You can't be expected to go as you are," Shellsa told her breezily, efficiently pushing the peeved queen toward the magnificent mirror. "We need a fresh look!"

"But-"

"Stop whinging!" Cora ordered firmly. "It's going to happen whether you want it to or not … Now where did I put that jar of crystal dust?"

Ariel crossed her arms and pouted.

"That won't stop us."

"Do I get a say in this at all?" the royal asked cynically. "I am your queen."

"You can decide on whether you want your hair up or down," Cora answered briskly.

Ariel groaned into her knuckles.

"I loathe you," she snarled.

"Up or down?"

"I am telling you that I loathe you and you want me to-"

"Up or down, Ariel? Hurry up or I'll decide for you."

"Daaarrrgh! Down! Down in loose waves along my back and around my shoulders. Leave the ropes in, I like them."

"Good-Oh," Shellsa muttered.

"I can do that for you," Cora said. "Shellsa, we've run out of dust. smash some more, please? And then find food and wine. We're going to be here for quite a while I think."

"Can Kali be here too?" Ariel asked hopefully as Shellsa made her departure.

Cora unhappily shook her head.

"She needs all the respite she can get if she's to be present at the wedding," Nona told the queen.

"I'm peeved as well," Cora added grumpily, "but Corin's worried about her lungs and will not bend."

Ariel sighed and nodded.

"At least she'll be at our wedding," she said. "I'd feel something was missing if she weren't there."

"Everything will be just fine," Cora told Ariel warmly.

"Perhaps tonight you and Corin will conceive children of your own?" Nona added.

Ariel bit her lip uneasily.

"Ariel?"

"Do we have to have children right away?" she asked. "I mean … I already have Kali and I know Corin adores her."

"That's something you should discuss with him," Cora said whilst combing her fingers through Ariel's curls. "I think, however, he may want to have more then one child with you." She paused. "Goddess, I'm starved! Nona, be a good girl and see what's keeping Shellsa."

OoO

The empress continued to work in silence until Shellsa arrived with the food, wine and crystals.

"I have snails, frog legs, star fish, sea weed balls and spiced sea nectar," Shellsa announced proudly.

"That's not much, why couldn't you get sword fish or lobster?" Cora asked, disappointed.

"Sorja told me it's for the wedding feast," Sorja's mate elaborated with a furious toss of her head.

"The guards had to be bribed so we could get away with anything at all," Nona added with a roll of her eyes.

"Nona, you're a priestess!" Ariel gasped, mockingly taken aback.

The woman shrugged her shoulders, nonchalant.

"I'm a head priestess with a mate and children," she said with a casual note in her bell like voice. "So far the Goddess has not decided to strike me down."

"Enough chatter!" insisted Cora as she battled with a tangle in Ariel's hair. "Eat, drink then help me finish her off or Corin will have our hides!"

OoO

Ariel sneezed.

"Sorry."

"Ohhh, she sparkles!" Shellsa exclaimed, giving Ariel an admiring look. "Very pretty!"

Ariel sneezed again.

"Are you going to be doing that all the way through the ceremony?" Cora snapped, annoyed. "It's a very tiresome noise!"

"I hope not," Ariel muttered, wiping her nose. "But perhaps you shouldn't have thrown so much dust over me?"

"You told me to!"

"No I didn't! I said a little! I-"

"No need to quarrel, ladies," Nona said soothingly before the already vexed empress could explode and pick a fight with the doubly vexed queen. "Cora, everyone is ready and waiting. I think it's time to go."

"Right …" Cora smiled apologetically at her friend. "Are _you_ ready?"

"To go through all the pomp and circumstance again?" Ariel asked incredulously. "Yes. more then ready actually. Let's go. I want to get this over with."

_**The topaz shrine**_

Ariel could barely comprehend what Nona was saying. She had been spellbound, lost in the exquisiteness of Corin's eyes.

She could feel her lips moving in order to answer the priestess's questions. She could feel her body move as Nona took their hands, carefully sliding the delicate silver and topaz rings onto their fingers then binding their hands together with amber coloured silk.

But that was it. She was lost.

Happily lost.

Finally, the queen came screeching back to reality when it was announced that they had been, at last, reunited.

Her heart jolted from utter shock and then raced madly inside her chest.

"You may now kiss the bride," Nona said, her face beaming joyously.

Ariel turned away from the woman to face her husband again.

"I love you," she told Corin, voice cracking. "I love you."

He smiled back at her.

He knew.

Of course he knew.

She kissed him slowly. Breaking away she laughed then cried.

Freeing their hands, she embraced him then kissed him again.

It was over.

She was so happy.

"I love you," she whispered into his hair as he hugged her. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

OoO

Kali squealed her joy and wriggled to free herself from her uncles who had been bestowed the duty of looking after her during the ceremony.

Ariel was quick to swim over to scoop the babe into her arms, fervently kissing and petting the infant's intricately braided hair.

"How did you like that, my darling?" she asked her offspring. "Did you like our wedding?"

Kali cooed babyishly and patted Ariel's cheek with a tubby hand.

The queen beamed up at her mate who was floating beside her. "I think she said yes."

Kali gurgled then patted her cheek again.

Ariel hugged her beloved daughter and leaned back into Corin.

His lips performed a series of slow, deliberate kisses along her shoulder to her ear.

Her eyes darkened.

"I'm holding a baby," she murmured warningly. "Wait."

He bit gently into her earlobe.

She trembled.

"Wait," she said again, voice slightly strained.

Flotsam and Jetsam drifted over to them. Ariel had been told the story of how they had been in and out of league with Ursula and was grateful that they had chosen to switch sides before the witch had succeeded in killing her.

"The divine little vipers," she greeted, her lips curling into a wry smile.

"You remember us, your majesssty?" Flotsam hissed, smirking at her.

"Ariel, please. Yes, I remember you two. You called me a poor, sweet child then said that I had a very serious problem."

Jetsam nodded.

Kali pressed her nose into Ariel's chest and moaned.

Both eel men bowed their heads.

"We will leave you," they told the Cecaelians in unison.

Watching them go, Ariel tensed.

A scent filled her nose

Her lips twitched.

No, she not let anything spoil this day.

Not her.

Not anymore.

"Are you alright?"

Corin brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"I thought … Nothing. It's nothing. I'm just being silly."

Once again, Ariel leaned against her mate, clutching the child tightly to her chest.

"She's sleeping," Corin observed, looking down at the babe.

The queen smiled, lovingly stroking her daughter's head.

"She's beautiful."

He hugged his queen, gently rubbing her smooth belly.

"Like her mother. Are you tired?"

She closed her eyes, nodding.

"But I don't want to let her go just yet," she added quietly. "I'm happy. I haven't felt so collected and still for … I don't know. It's nice to feel serene. I'm not straining to remember anything. I can be still. I can take my time."

'_Liar,'_ a voice taunted in her head.

"You're also thinking about children," Corin added softly, tentacles entwining leisurely with her own. "Do you want children?"

Ariel opened her eyes, looking at the joyous festivities before them, choosing her words carefully.

"I want to have more, yes, but I'm worried about Kali. I wouldn't want to discard her."

"You won't," Corin avowed steadfastly. "You didn't before and you will not in the future. We won't let you."

"And what if the Goddess doesn't wish to adopt my other sons and daughters? What then, Corin?"

"Then we'll have to appreciate whatever time we are given to spend with them," her mate answered judiciously. "We cannot do anymore then that."

"Tonight we're supposed to mate," she said to him after a long period of stillness and silence.

Corin rested his cheek against her own.

"We don't have to," he murmured.

The Cecaelian queen turned to her mate, holding her child to her black, sparkling bosom, blue eyes shining.

"I just want to lie in your arms," she told him honestly. "I don't want to think. I don't want to talk. I don't want to move. I just want to be with you."

_**The wedding chamber**_

Still as a statue, Ariel listened to the pliable whoosh of bubbles. Her blue eyes darted here and there as she quietly took in the chamber that their people had prepared them for the wedding aftermath.

It was a simple affair with an enormous silver grey clam in the very centre. In the far right corner there was an area sealed off by sea vine. Sweet scented steam emitted from the gaps, it did not take the queen long to realise it was a rock pool.

'How

"How long can we stay?" she asked her mate.

"Not as long as I would have liked," Corin told her regrettably. "We'll be needed back at court to discuss plans for peace talks with Triton."

Ariel nodded.

"He'll want to know what has become of her and I," she murmured somewhat ruefully. "I have a feeling he has been looking for us."

"He and his people have visited the lair on more then one occasion, yes," Corin confirmed. "But the others and I removed anything that could direct them to you."

She frowned.

"She worries about him," Ariel revealed, brow furrowing more so. "The mer woman thinks he is her father."

"Well, you, know that none of us have a father," Corin reminded. "Only a mother."

Ariel nodded again.

'_I suppose now would be a good time to tell him about Kunama,'_she thought. 'He's calm and relaxed. He won't think I've lost the plot."

"Corin-"

"Where were we before my sister rudely interrupted us?"

"Cunnilingus," Ariel told Corin with a short, blithe laugh. "Foreplay and cunnilingus."

Corin's tentacles curled amorously around her own, pulling his queen to him then holding her in place against his body.

She smiled, batting her eyelashes.

"You are evil," she whispered making no attempt to flee. "Very, very evil."

He pulled her closer, stroking her curls with slender fingers.

"A necessary evil, thank you very much," he told her amusedly.

She laughed again.

He guided her to the bed.

Lying back against the silver sponge mattress, Ariel removed her jewellery then closed her eyes.

"You are necessary," she agreed softly.

OoO

The queen jerked and writhed as Corin kissed and licked her.

"Mmm, don't stop," she whined vapidly, nuzzling her face into the velvety sponge. "Don't stop!"

She arched her body off the bed, crying out in rapture, rocking her hips toward him, breathlessly urging him to go on.

It didn't take long for Ariel to reach her first orgasm of the evening.

The whole thing shook her to the very centre of her being. Eyes wide, she curled her fingers, clenched and strained until the waves of its aftermath swept through her body, until all that remained was a trembling mess.

Corin shifted from between her limbs to lie on top of her. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her gently on the mouth.

Dazed, the woman could barely respond. She could taste herself in his saliva. She could smell the potent musky scent of sex.

He began to lick the left side of her throat. Her body twitched, reacting instantaneously although feebly, to the slithering motions of his tongue.

His mating scent progressively filled her nose.

She panted weakly and stretched her tentacles.

"Please," she croaked.

He ignored her pleas, teasing her with nippy kisses and licks.

She moved her head, keeping it away from him.

"No … please."

"Wait," he growled against her heavily pulsating jugular vein. "You could get hurt."

"I'm ready!" she stammered feverishly. "N-now!"

She pushed her lower half to where she knew his manhood would be safely tucked away and rubbed ardently against the smooth black skin.

"Bitch," he swore at her.

"Bastard," she breathed.

Using a tentacle, he pushed it gently into her opening and probed.

Ariel moaned at the filling sensation, grateful for the relief.

He did not dwell within her for long.

"You're a virgin," he rasped before, alarmed at his discovery.

Intemperate, Ariel whimpered with need and pulled against him.

"It doesn't matter," she panted effervescently. "Just be with me."

"This will hurt."

"I'll get over it."

"Ariel-"

"I said I will get over it!"

She put her arms around his neck, burying her face into his hair and closed her eyes.

It didn't take him long to drive his manhood into her, swiftly severing the flesh that had kept her unknowingly a maiden for so long.

She screamed in agony then bit deep into his shoulder.

He slammed into her again hence jolting her violently and causing her teeth to sink further into his flesh.

"It's over. I'm done," Corin gasped.

Tears seeped down Ariel's red cheeks.

She breathed in and out in order to gather herself.

When all was still and quiet, she pulled away to look at him.

Her beloved seemed mortified by seeing the wet blood smeared over her lips, cheek and chin.

"I'm alright," she promised softly. "I'm fine."

He smiled at her sadly.

"I told you not to hurry me," he chastised half-heartedly. "You are a bad girl, wife."

She giggled dulcetly then batted her eyelashes at him.

"But that's how you like it, isn't it?" she asked wantonly. "Not a naïve sweeting."

He ran his hands through her hair.

"I'll have you whatever mood you're in, little queen," he told her huskily. "I'll want you forever."

She kissed him slowly on the mouth, pushing her tongue against his lips and teeth.

'_I feel like conceiving,' _she told him with her mind,_ 'do you still want me?'_

He growled into her mouth.

'_You didn't tell me you were on heat,' _he accused her.

'_I'm telling you now, husband,'_

Carefully, Corin slid his manhood back into her and began to stroke. One by one their tentacles started to connect, pressing sucker against sucker. The scent he emitted for this specific moment grew more potent.

Intoxicated with arousal, Ariel mewled kittenishly and rubbed her sensuous body along his own.

More and more of their tentacles connected.

The woman achingly stretched her ten limbs, waiting for the hot liquid that would squirt out from his suckers and sheath then seep into her own tentacles nub, thus creating the fertilised eggs she wanted.

He grew hot against and inside her.

Moaning provocatively, Ariel slanted backwards, giving him admittance to her breasts.

He readily took one in his hands, squeezing it and squeezing it till he witnessed her nipple rise from the black mound it hid within. Capturing the sensitive tit amid his fingers, Corin began to tease it, being mindful not to let her lactate all over him.

The queen gave an abrupt yelp when one of her suckers popped open and his hot seed seeped into the open wound.

"Shh, nine more to go, love," Corin soothed stroking the teat with his fingertips. "Not long now."

Ariel clenched her teeth.

Her brief moment of agony was followed by a domino effect. She shrieked in pain at the simultaneous searing sensation then sagged into him only to be rudely pushed back as his manhood exploded inside of her.

Shattered and sore, the male and female Cecaelians released each other, lying in a trembling, sweaty heap, trying fervently to catch their breath.

"I've forgotten how much the first time hurts," Ariel mumbled wearily against the arm cushioning her head.

Corin kissed her shoulder.

"Mmm," she moaned, relaxing. "There's a rock pool over there."

"There is," he agreed closing his eyes.

"I smell."

"And?"

She roughly elbowed him in the ribcage.

"Oi!"

"I don't want to lie here all sticky and smelly, get up, Corin!"

OoO

Revived, the pair made love again in the rock pool. When certain that their sexual energies had been spent, they relaxed in the heated water, hugging each other and sighing contentedly.

"You're a very bright woman," Corin told her, stroking the wet hair off Ariel's face then tucking it behind her ear.

"In more ways then one I would hope," she mumbled.

Her mate traced his fingers along her damp naked back, trailing down to where the creamy white turned to grey then blended into obsidian.

"I've missed you," he told her huskily.

Ariel bowed her head.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," she told him softly.

"Is there something wrong?"

She hesitated, focusing on the rising steam.

"What is it? You've gone from suddenly deliriously happy to silent and morose."

"No, not morose. I …"

He put a hand on her arm.

"Do you remember something?" he asked Ariel, voice no longer amused but deeply concerned.

"It's …" she licked her lips. "It's difficult."

"Take your time.'

The queen wiped at her nose then leaned against the rock, folding her arms across her chest.

"I may be losing my mind," she told him.

He shrugged.

"If that's the case we'll help you find it again."

Ariel laughed humourlessly.

"That simple?"

"That simple. Tell me what's wrong."

Ariel licked her lips again.

She took a deep breath.

"I smelt a third odour on Kali. No one else could smell it. I didn't say a thing to anyone about it until Cora confronted me. I accidentally let her see what had made me attack Kali."

She dropped her head into the palm of her hand, ashamed.

Corin was silent for a long time. He stared at her, flummoxed. Unable to decide on what course of action he should take.

"What did she smell like?" he managed at last.

Ariel raised her head and sniffed pitifully.

"Kunama. She smelt like Kunama. I don't know why, but Kali reeked of her. It was as if I had given birth to a stranger's child and not my own."

"But you know that is not the case?" Corin asked his mate. "Ariel, if Kali had not been your child we would have known straight away."

"And the smell? Why did my daughter smell like Kunama?"

"She and Circa were responsible for killing Baarj and Kali the first time, weren't they? Maybe you had an unwanted reaction you could not control? You are still susceptible to memory lapses, Ariel."

He gathered her into his arms, kissing her soundly.

"This will pass," he told her then kissed her neck. "All of this uncertainty will go away. You don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm here. We are all here."

The queen made a soft, longing noise and brought her lips to his.

"Take me back to bed," she beseeched huskily.

He tangled a hand in her hair, massaging her scalp with his dexterous fingers.

"Take me," she entreated, arching her slender body backwards, giving him access to her breasts. "I want you to have me, Corin."

OoO

Lying on her back, Ariel shivered pleasurably as Corin dropped an oyster into her belly button.

Looming over her, he dipped his head and sucked it out.

"Ohh!" the queen groaned, her loins growing warm and throbbing.

Gently, her mate licked the salty remains of the oyster then lay down beside her.

"Your turn," he whispered seductively, passing her an oyster.

_**End of part 12**_

_**Review replies**_

vAMPkIMI  
2011-05-27 . chapter 11

whoaaaaa amazing! finally the birth has happened! :) and who has ariel chosen? cant wait to see who it was! :D

**Hope this has satisfied your curiosity darls!**

TSume Sumeragi  
2011-06-14 . chapter 11

Ok so that was the worst cliffhanger eva. Kill joy..'t wait for the next update!

This chappie was rather cliffhanger-less. Hope you enjoyed it though mate.

_**Authors note**_

To any disappointed Eric and Ariel shippers.

I am sorry if the outcome of this story was not to your liking. I never intended Ariel and Eric to reunite in this story because I did not want to go in that direction.

I do not think Eric is a bad character, I just find it quite hard to warm to him and think there are other characters Ariel has better chemistry with.

Also, notifying readers before the beginning of the fic that Ariel chooses Corin over Eric would have been a spoiler and I'd prefer not to spoil things.

Anyway, Eric will make an appearance in the next chappie. I have no idea of when said chappie will be up so please do not ask me to update soon.

I can tell you that there will be two major character deaths and Merjorca will make her first appearance. We'll also learn more about the smell that has been upsetting queen Ariel.


	13. Part 13 Contains Main character deaths!

_**She dreams, part 13**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

What has become of Ursula and Morgana?

_**Disclaimer**_

Written in Australian and UK English.

Rated M.

All flames and Sue grumbles will be ignored especially for this chapter.

_**The surface**_

"Stop dawdling!" Ursula complained to her sister whilst she hobbled along the cobbled road. "We may have eternity but that's no excuse for laziness!"

"My heel broke!" Morgana whined miserably as she limped. "Why couldn't we steal a horse or a donkey? Walking is too hard!"

Ursula sighed, biting her lip in an effort to hold back the up coming conniption.

In a perfect world, she would have been able to turn her intemperate sister into a horse or donkey.

Sadly, it was not a perfect world. Not anymore.

"The next rider I see I will kill him or her," she promised Morgana. "And we'll share the horse!"

Morgana's wrinkled face brightened at once.

"Thank you, Ursula!" she cried, ecstatic. "Whatever would I do without you?"

Clip, clop, clip, clop.

OoO

Setting the bloody rock aside, Ursula rummaged through the dead man's belongings, searching for anything of value or editable.

After finding twenty gold coins, a wineskin, some strong cheese and dried rabbit meat, Ursula turned to her sister who had been given the task of calming the tall bay stallion down.

"For the love of-calm the horse down or kill him! Make up your mind but be quick about it!"

"I'm trying!" Morgana spat, frustrated. "Whooll, horsy! There's a good horsy horse! Whoa big fella!"

Ursula rolled her eyes.

Fucking brilliant.

OoO

Mounted at last, Ursula kicked the animal into an efficient trot.

"Where are we going?" Morgana asked from behind her sister.

The stallion grunted and swished his black tail at an offensive fly.

"We're going to see mum and dad, Morgy," Ursula replied dryly. "They're going to help us get our powers back."

That being said, she kicked the steeds sides again, urging it into a canter.

_**Bunton house drawing room.**_

"Lady Bunton, two ladies of advanced years waiting in your parlour. They claim that they seek an audience with you. Would you receive them or shall I send them away?"

Lounging indolently on her chaise lounge, a beautiful pale-skinned woman raised her blond head from her book to gaze at her butler.

"Send them in, Bertie," she drawled out wearily. "I will see them."

Bertie bowed respectfully.

"Of course, ma'am," he replied tersely, leaving her.

OoO

Lady Claire Bunton carefully appraised the two women with cold, aloof eyes.

"So … you took heed of my warning after all?" she asked the biggest of her visitors, a stout crone with tangled, dirty grey hair.

"Of course I did," the woman replied earnestly. "I take everything you tell me seriously, mother."

_**The dining room**_

"By surrendering yourselves completely to the aggressor you will get your powers back and more," Kunama explained at the grand dining table.

"But chanting and pledging is not enough," their father added seriously. "There is more to it then that. You must prove yourself worthy of her as your mother and I have done. By being ruthless, Kunama and I have both enjoyed the rewards reaped from the hard labour,"

"You will do so as well," Kunama divulged proudly. "Merjorca is very good to those who obey her."

Ursula's eyes lit up with burning curiosity.

"You and father gained sanctuary from Corin and his people just by giving Ariel and her children to the mer people and sacrificing their hearts to the aggressor?" a wide-eyed Morgana asked her parents dubiously.

"It was Merjorca's wish," Circa answered plainly. "It was also her wish that we'd give you both succour and the opportunity to take back what Corin stole from you."

"It was Ariel and Cora who did the stealing, not Corin!" Ursula snapped, abruptly losing her cool. "They have to pay! They've taken everything from me! My power, my child, Corin! I have nothing because of them! Nothing!"

The former witch of the ocean slammed her palm down on the lush wooden table, thusly making everything clutter about or fall to the floor.

"Hush, hush my sweet. All will be well. I promise it will," Kunama soothed. "Ariel _will_ be supplanted, Cora will get what she deserves and Corin _will_ belong to you. And do not forget that your father and I are no strangers to Ariel's egocentricity and greed. We were victims of her treachery, my dear. You are not alone."

"Yes. We gave Ariel so much whilst she lived in our realm but in the end her avarice led her to Corin," Circa sneered bitterly. "We were right to betray her then sacrifice her and her children's hearts to Merjorca. She trampled over us and left us with nothing but regret."

"Watching the mer men decapitate the manipulative little bitch was rather entertaining and satisfactory," Kunama remarked with a laconic laugh. "The whore begged and pleaded all the way to the chopping block and when she found out about our new devotion … well, she bloody squealed like a stuck pig."

"This is why you conceived outside the Cecaelian realm," Circa told the women, leaning inward in his chair. "Had Corin known your father and I were supporters of Merjorca we both would have perished. You two were born to bring down the favourite daughter of the Goddess and take her place. Not as Vorlorna's favourites but as the aggressor's champions."

"What do we have to do?" Ursula asked intensely. "How do we get the ball rolling?"

Rising from her chair, Kunama walked over to stand at Ursula's side. Reaching out a hand, the elegant woman lightly stroked her daughter's fizzy grey hair.

"You have to start a war, dearest," the former Cecaelian empress divulged casually. "That's what you do."

_**Bunton House, the guest chambers**_

Lying in their bed, Morgana watched with guarded eyes whilst her sister resumed her ferocious tirade.

"It was me who stopped that whiny bitch's daughter from dying. And what thanks did I get? Hmm? Nothing! I practically started raising the child as my own whilst Ariel was busy making 'come hither' eyes at Corin! I am her mother and a much better one then that sickly little ranga would ever be!"

"What do you mean?" Morgana asked, curiosity getting the better of her caution. "Ursula, I have no idea of what you're talking about. Give me a clue, won't you?"

"I made certain my scent was all over the shield! That it would soak into the babe's skin!"

"So … if we were able to, by some miracle, stay in the realm then you might have been able to raise the child and Ariel would not have lifted a single finger to stop you, am I right?"

"Exactly," Ursula growled cantankerously. "But of course my plan failed and now the pitiful excuse for a queen has everything! Everything!"

Ursula turned to her window, staring defiantly at the ocean.

"Soon you will feel my wrath," she vowed vituperatively, directing every poisonous word at Ariel. "I will regain every single thing you took from me."

"Hmm, Ursie, you forgot about Cora. She would never let you raise the-"

"Oh don't remind me about bloody Empress Cora!" Ursula yelled and threw a chamber pot straight at Morgana.

_**The Cecaelian realm, Corin and Ariel's chambers.**_

"Mmmph," Ariel protested against Corin's lips.

She pulled away from him and struggled to sit up.

He groaned and went to take her mouth again.

"Not now," the queen rasped, putting a hand on her mate's bare chest in order to push him back. "We can't."

Corin was having none of it; he leant forward, trying to kiss her, only to be denied again.

"No," his queen said laughingly. "I'm-I mean, I have to-"

"What?" he demanded annoyed.

Ariel sighed.

Reaching for a breast, she aimed the teat straight at her mate and squeezed thus squirting milk in his face.

"I'm lactating you idiot," she told him, giggling. "Kali needs to be fed."

Her mate grimaced, wiping the pale liquid from his face.

"Can't Cora do it?" he asked, nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Are you telling me you're jealous of a baby?" Ariel demanded.

Corin snorted.

"Don't be preposterous," he told her. "She's an infant."

"Yes," the woman agreed readily. "She _is_ an infant, an infant who needs my attention. Soon there will be more then one infant who will also need my attention. You'd better get used to it because _my_ world does not evolve solely around you."

"It's a bit difficult for me to just drop everything right now," Corin told Ariel sardonically as she leapt away from the clam.

"Tuck it in," his mate advised him from over her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be able to "Get it up" for me later."

_**Kali's chambers**_

"Hello," Ariel cooed at her daughter who was already awake and whimpering eagerly. "Hello my precious, how are you? How are you?"

She scooped Kali into her arms and twirled them around in a wide circle.

"Wheeehehe!" she cried joyously. "Did you like that? Was that funny? Was that funny?"

The baby squealed happily.

Play time over, the Cecaelia sat on a nearby rock, supporting Kali's head whilst she latched onto the teat.

"She's growing nicely," Corin murmured observantly, checking the child's weight as she suckled. "She'll be strong enough to swim soon. I didn't think she'd develop so fast."

OoO

Once Kali had finished, the queen hugged her tightly to her chest and closed her eyes.

"You are so precious," Ariel whispered fiercely. "I love you so much."

She pressed her lips to Kali's forehead for a brief moment then hugged her again, smiling shyly at her mate.

"I'm an old softie, aren't I?" she asked him.

Corin smirked.

"She has us all wrapt around her little finger, you've nothing to worry about."

As if knowing what Corin was talking about, Kali turned until she could see him and pouted.

"Oh, you've upset her now," Ariel laughed.

Corin snorted.

"Give her here," he growled.

The Cecaelia rolled her eyes then passed her daughter to her mate.

Cradling the tiny princess in his arms, Corin playfully began to chastise the infant, only stopping when Kali decided it would be amusing to seize hold of his nose and sink her tiny fingernails into it.

Indignant, Corin gave the child a mock growl of warning then rubbed at his nose.

"She's her mother's daughter," he remarked dryly.

Ariel burst out laughing.

Kali cooed, dark eyes shimmering like jewels.

"Goddess, you _are_ beautiful," he muttered, holding the baby before him.

Kali yawned.

"She knows that already," Ariel reminded, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "You'll have to update your repertoire."

Corin snorted again.

"I need to borrow your mother," he told Kali. "You're fine with that, aren't you?"

Kali cooed again, offering a toothless smile.

"Thank you," he said then kissed her forehead.

Gently, he placed her in her clam, stroking back the thick dark red tresses that fell about her elliptical face and shoulders.

"Your aunts and uncles will be here shortly," he told her. "Maybe you can play with their noses?"

Kali squawked gleefully thus making her adoptive father smirk down at her.

"Wicked child," he teased lightly, tickling her black belly button with a finger. "Goddess help us when you're sixteen."

"I think she should be a little older then that," Ariel interjected, having a feeling he was talking about mating. 'Eighteen at least."

"As I recall you were barely nineteen when we mated," Corin reminded her. "The same age as Sorja."

"And sixteen when I married Eric. Did you know his mother was wed at twelve years of age to the king?"

Not waiting for his answer, the queen floated over to the clam and brushed her fingers against Kali's cheek.

"Don't grow up too fast," she whispered pleadingly. "You have eternity."

_**Outside Kali's chambers**_

From behind her, Corin put his arms around Ariel's waist, lightly brushing his lips against her hair and cheek.

The woman closed her eyes, smiling as the stubble scratched her skin.

"I'm becoming a softie and a complete worry pot in my ever expanding dotage, aren't I?" she mumbled, letting him nuzzle her.

"I like worry pots," he answered huskily. "They're very entertaining."

He drew back, turning her to face him. Reaching out, he cupped her face in his right hand, stroking the skin with the pad of his thumb.

"And exceptionally beautiful," he added huskily.

Ariel's mouth twitched upwards, eventually turning into a wry grin.

"Brown noser," she taunted cheekily. "I'll have to tell the queen that you're a hopeless suck up!"

Corin shook his head.

"You could, but she won't believe you."

Ariel slid away from him.

"Yes she will. In fact, I think I'll go and tell her right now."

There was a decidedly sinister gleam in Corin's eyes.

"Will you just?" he leered.

Ariel nodded, eyes dancing with mirth.

"I will. She'll have your hide, Corin."

The monarch crouched into an attack position.

"Not if I catch you first!" he growled and sprung forth.

The queen gave a shriek and darted away from him, heart thundering with exhilaration.

'_Ha!'_ she thought, feeling clever.

OoO

On and on Ariel pushed herself, always mindful of where she could and could not go.

'_My love,'_

She pulled up, panting for air.

'_What is it?'_ she asked mentally, frowning.

A sleek tentacle whipped around her waist, reeling her backwards.

"Fool," Ariel scorned her mate, twisting around to face him. "You'll pay for that."

Corin arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

"How?" he asked.

She put her arms around his neck, toying with the silky black tresses with her slender fingers.

"Mmmm, I'll whip you into submission."

He stroked his fingers up and down her back.

"Sounds painful," he remarked softly then leant forward, lips hovering over hers.

Ariel pulled back slightly.

"It will be," she promised huskily.

Corin slowly unwound her, lips still hovering.

"Then I guess I should just …" he stopped.

Ariel waited.

"Just?"

"Fuck off!" he said abruptly.

Not giving her a chance, Corin dove backwards and sped away from her.

"You bastard!" Ariel exclaimed.

Gathering herself, she darted after him

_**The surface, a garden outside Prince Eric and Princess Genevieve's chambers**_

Eric had been playing with his boys in the palace garden when he felt a curious chill run down his spine. He ignored the queer sensation for a time but as the moments passed he found the chills to become more frequent and thus more bothersome.

"Ciara," he called out.

The wet nurse for the princes hurried to their father and gave a quick respectful curtsey.

"Yes, your highness?" she asked efficiently.

"It's getting cold, take the children to their chambers. I'll be in to see them in a moment."

"Of course, give the lads to me, highness. I'll look after them."

He smiled.

"Tell their mother I'll be in to dine with her very soon."

Ciara nodded then took her charges, hand in hand, to their chamber.

As soon as she was gone, Eric drew his rapier from its scabbard.

'_I'm waiting,'_ he thought.

"Wise of you to send the brats away."

Whirling around, the prince saw Vanessa, or Ursula, casually leaning against a pillar, smiling coquettishly at him.

"Miss me, lover boy?" she asked in the all too familiar husky, lush tones of her genuine voice, winking saucily at him.

Eric's seductress and nemesis wore a long snug fitting black silk dress with an elongated slit up the right side, revealing a slender white leg. Her lustrous dark hair cascaded down her shoulders, bristling in the cold breeze.

"What do you want?" the young man demanded, gripping his weapon tightly in his hands. "Tell me!"

"You, delicious," another husky voice purred from behind him. "Just you."

Morgana slid torpidly out from a pillar across from them. She too wore a tight fitted black dress except her choice of clothing displayed more flesh, so much flesh it momentarily reminded Eric of her natural form.

The royal shook his head.

"No," he ground out resolutely.

It didn't matter how tantalisingly beautiful they were … He no longer wanted them.

Their hold on him had worn off at last.

"I've cheated on one true love," Eric told the sisters heatedly. "I won't deceive another! Leave me alone! I never, ever want to see either of you in this kingdom again! Go!"

"Dearest Genevieve is your true love now?" Vanessa cried in amazement. "Ha! How quickly you got over the little ranga you fought so hard to keep!"

She edged closer, ever mindful to keep out of the way of the sword whilst Morgana began to circle them, licking her sensual lips like a famished feline.

"You shouldn't deny us, Eric," the eldest of the sisters cautioned ever so sweetly. "Not when we need you so badly."

"Mmm," Morgana agreed running her fingers over her barely concealed breasts. "You make me ache all over."

"Get away," Eric warned tersely.

"Or what? You'll run me through again?" Vanessa asked, arching an eyebrow.

Suddenly she stopped in mid stride. Tilting her head to the right, her eyes wide as a doe's, she gave him an innocent look.

"Could you really do that to me, Eric?" the powerless witch whispered serenely. "Really?"

The prince grasped his blade even tighter. He swallowed thickly.

"You destroyed everything," he rasped.

"You gained everything," Vanessa hissed defiantly. "Now it is time to pay!"

"I've paid you enough!" Eric snarled and strove forth to kill her.

Before the weapon could touch flesh, Vanessa vanished into thin air. Whipping around, shaking, Eric stared about him.

They were both gone. Not even their scent remained.

"Your highness!"

He saw Sir and lady Bunton rushing in his direction and quickly sheathed his sword.

"Did you-" he began.

"Come with us your highness," Lady Bunton urged, cutting him off, her eyes darting here and there. "It isn't safe."

"How did you-"

"Ariel and Corin sent us to warn you," Sir Bunton told Eric, putting a hand on the younger mans back. "We have to go before the witches come back. It seems their powers are returning, that was never meant to happen."

"How do you know them?" Eric demanded, shrugging the hand off. "I-"

"Quick! Quickly!" Lady Bunton hissed. "There isn't time to waste! All will be explained in the carriage!"

"But my wife, my children?"

"They only want you, Highness," Sir Bunton told Eric briskly. "They have no interest in your wife or children."

"Come!" Lady Bunton urged angrily. "The more we tarry the harder it will be to save you, come!"

"Where are we going?"

"The Cecaelian realm," Sir Bunton told Eric, replacing his hand. "Corin and Ariel insisted we were to bring you there as soon as possible."

Eric looked over his shoulder, staring through the windows.

'_Please God … Save them … Genevieve, I love you so much.'_

"Fine," he croaked, shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine, let's go."

_**Bunton House, guest chamber**_

"Your Highness, please, in here," Claire whispered gently ushering Eric into the opulent chamber. "You'll be safe while my husband and I work. Rest, it is crucial that you save your strength. Christophe and I will come for you."

Eric nodded.

"Wine your highness," Bertie said, walking calmly into the chamber, carrying a goblet and wine bottle on a tray.

"Thank you," Eric said.

He attacked the wine as if he were a frantic drunken sop, who had been deprived of his addiction for far too long, skulling the sweet, rich liquid quickly before realising that he was still in the company of a woman of taste and breeding.

"I am sorry," he apologised, wiping his mouth.

Claire shook her head.

"There is no need for apologies. Bertie, bring Prince Eric some food. The best cuts, the strongest cheese, what ever you think is fit, understood?"

The short butler bowed grandly.

"Of course, ma'am," he replied and promptly left them.

"Bertie is unaware of whom Christophe and I really are," Claire whispered. "I see," Eric replied. "How … How well do you know Ariel?"

"The Queen? I knew her before she became a mermaid, Prince Eric," Claire replied.

"What was she like … I mean, what was she like before I knew her?"

The woman scowled inwardly.

'_Manipulative, cruel, beautiful comes to mind,'_

"She is my best friend, your highness. I love her dearly."

Eric nodded and turned to the window, staring out at the full moon.

"Can you tell me if she is happy with him?" he asked softly.

Claire put a hand over her heart, closing her eyes.

"Ariel is very happy, your highness," she managed. "Just like you are with the princess Genevieve."

Eric flinched sharply, realising just how adulterous it would seem to Claire.

"I am sorry," he apologised again, returning his eyes to her. "I can't help it. I love Genevieve with all my heart. Giving Ariel up for her was the right thing to do. But-"

"You can still love them both," Claire told him ardently. "I am sure that even though she is with Corin, Ariel still has a place in her heart for you, your highness!"

_**Outside Bunton house**_

"Blaaargh! Mother was right. The youth spell doesn't last long at all," Ursula complained yanking on her peasants dress.

Kicking her black garments away, Morgana scowled at her obese, ineffective body.

"I'm sick of this!" she spat acidly.

"So am I, don't think you're the only one, sis," Ursula muttered under her breath. "I will be sooo glad when this is all over!"

There was a rustle of silk.

"Here comes mummy!" the former witch of the ocean sing-songed under her breath.

Morgana turned into the direction Ursula was looking in to see Kunama running toward them, face alight with excitement.

"Eric is ready and waiting," their mother panted. "Remember, Ursula. This is your first sacrifice. You must do it fast and you cannot puncture the heart."

"I thought I was going to kill him!" Morgana complained.

Kunama rolled her eyes.

"You can help me hold him down," she told her pouting daughter dryly.

"Do you have the letter, Morgana? I did say it had to be completed before the sacrifice."

Morgana's head bobbed dutifully up and down and presented the piece of papyrus to her mother.

"Here with Triton's signature," she quipped readily. "It's very … vindictive. Are you sure this will work?"

"Positive," Kunama answered assertively. "Once they find Eric's body and read our little counterfeit memorandum, the Queen and princess will be livid enough to want to slaughter every mer person in the ocean. While Corin and Ariel are desperately trying to bring both sides to a truce, Merjorca would have slipt in and taken over the entire Cecaelian haven and you, my dears, will have the entire ocean on it's knees."

_**Genevieve's and Eric's bed chambers**_

"Has anyone seen my husband, lady Odette?" Genevieve asked a lady in waiting whilst sitting sat up in her bed.

The young woman shook her head.

"Not since late yesterday afternoon, highness," she replied gently.

Genevieve sighed.

This would not do.

"I wish to see my sons," she stated finally and eased the furs and blankets aside. "Then I want to find my husband. I do not care if it is against the midwife's orders. This is very unlike my husband, I _will_ have answers."

_**Castle hallway, near the gardens**_

"Our Andrew shall have his own establishment soon," Genevieve confided quietly to the lady Cassandra, Grimsby's niece and one of her ladies in waiting, as they walked in the direction of the presence chamber she shared with Eric and his family. "Eric insists that the boy is to be sent to England," the princess sighed heavily, adding wanly. "England is so far away and the weather is very cold. I'll worry about him."

"The prince is strong, your highness. In fact, I daresay I have never seen him ill." Cassandra said, trying to make the woman feel better. "And you have told me that you may have another on the way," she added playfully.

The princess beamed with happiness.

"Yes," she confirmed with a gay laugh. "We are going to proclaim it during the banquet this evening. Eric is over the moon!"

Genevieve was to say more on the subject when a guard bid for them to stop.

"Princess, milady, I pray you, please forgive me, but I strongly urge you not to go into these chambers. Sir Christophe Bunton has made a discovery."

"A discovery?" the woman echoed, perplexed. "What in God's name are you talking about, man? Where is my husband? Why is Sir Bunton here at such an odd hour? Does he know about this discovery?"

Gravely, the guard reached into his coat, handing Genevieve a scroll.

"I am sorry, my lady," he whispered.

Frowning, the princess unrolled it. While skimming through it her face grew whiter and whiter till there was no colour left on her face apart from her irises' and rosy lips.

"God …" she whispered. "My love … My Eric."

There was a wail of grief.

Cassandra gathered her skirt. Sweeping past the princess, she entered the children's chamber and found he queen weeping softly by the window.

"Your majesty," Cassandra whispered, shocked. "Prince Christian and Prince Andrew … Are they?-"

The queen shook her head.

"No, they are well. Eric … He was … Dear Jesu! My boy! My precious boy! Oh Jesu! My boy is dead! Oh! Oh! Oh!"

Sobbing hysterically, the queen slid to the polished floor, face in her hands.

Cassandra paled dramatically.

"Pray, where is he?" she gasped. "Your majesty? Has a physician seen him? Mayhap he is not dead?"

A nearby guard stepped toward her.

"Milady," he addressed warily. "Grimsby found im out there."

He nodded in the direction of the beach.

Thanking the man, Cassandra seized her skirt again.

_**The beach**_

"My god," Lady Cassandra croaked, willing herself not to be sick.

Eric was lying on his back in a crumpled heap. On his lifeless face was a look of agony of the purest kind. And on his chest, staining his silk white shirt, was a horrifying, gaping wound.

"What monster committed this act?" Cassandra whispered to herself.

"Mer people."

The woman turned swiftly to the rocky pathway. The princess stood there, long hair dishevelled and flowing past her shoulders to her waist. Her eyes lifeless and dull.

"Mer people killed my husband and Sir Bunton's wife," Genevieve continued slowly, eyes fixed on the horrendous wound that had been inflicted on her beloved's chest. "They must pay."

Lady Cassandra put a hand to her mouth.

"No," she whispered. "Oh no … Genevieve, surely not …"

Listlessly, Genevieve handed her friend the scroll.

"Look at it," she whispered. "It is quite nasty don't you think?"

Whilst Cassandra read the scroll again, she heard the queen scream. The sound was quite faint, but it was her majesty.

"Someone see to her majesty," the lady in waiting ordered the guards, rolling the papyrus up and then swiftly concealing it. "The woman is clearly distraught. Go!"

Impervious to her former mother in laws sorrowfulness, Genevieve swallowed thickly. When she spoke again, her voice was cold as ice.

"They … must … pay."

"But surely-"

"The princess is not mistaken," Sir Bunton interjected wearily, face ashen and strained. "Claire and I were walking along here. That was when we saw the prince. He told us that he knew the mer men were coming for him. That was why he never met with the princess. He was protecting her and their sons by leaving the palace and drawing the mer men away. Claire and I … We …" Bunton shook his head. "I'm sorry. I …"

"Go … Go on, Sir Bunton," Cassandra murmured, putting a hand on Genevieve's arm.

"Claire and I saw that his highness was in dire need thusly offering to aid him. I told Claire to get help, she would not leave my side, she insisted she that she would fight with us."

Cassandra tightened her hold on Genevieve's arm.

Sir Bunton swallowed thickly, blinking back tears of pain.

"I tried to save them but …" he shook his head again, tears sailing past his cheeks. "Princess … please forgive me!"

_**A cave**_

"What are we doing here?" Morgana asked apprehensively whilst she and Ursula looked about themselves.

"This is Merjorca's temple," Kunama replied lighting candle after candle. "Circa and I have been worshipping here for years, this is a safe and sound place for us."

OoO

Circa entered the cave carrying a heavy sack before nightfall.

"Are we all set?" he asked Kunama expectantly.

The woman nodded.

"Of course."

Taking the sack from him, she turned to address their daughters.

"I want you both to wait here," she ordered, handing the sack to them. "We will return to you in the morning. Should anyone enter the cave, keep out of sight."

"Where are you going?" Morgana asked, still on edge.

Ursula sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Drama queen," she muttered under her breath.

"Our destination doesn't matter. In the sack you will find food and wine, enough to sustain you both until morning. There is no need for anxiety, Morgana. I suggest you take a leaf out of Ursula's book and stop fretting."

As soon as their parents were gone, Morgana turned to her sister.

"What do you think is going on, Ursula?" she asked nervously.

"We're getting our powers and looks back, that's what's happening, Morgy," her sister replied dryly. "Pass me the wine."

"But there's got to be more to it then that!" the younger of the sisters argued. "Something's wrong … I can feel it in my bones!"

Ursula sighed.

"Just stop whining and pass me the wine."

OoO

Upon first light Kunama swept into the cave, strangely jubilant.

"What a simply gorgeous morning!" she announced. "Wake up! Wake up! We can't afford to tarry! Wake up!"

Groaning, the sisters heaved themselves to their feet.

"Where's Dad?" Morgana asked groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Oh he'll be here presently, my love," Kunama answered flippantly. "Now. Let me look at you, Morgana. Today is such an occasion for you!"

As she observed these curious goings on, Ursula frowned.

What on earth was going on here?

"You know my darling, I have always loved you," Kunama went on, dabbing at her eyes with a white silk hankie. "You are just my pride and joy."

Morgana melted.

"Oh … Mum!" she croaked tearfully. "I love you too!"

"Then come, embrace your mother," Kunama cried and held out her arms.

All Ursula could do was gape as she watched her sister and mother.

Again, what on earth was going on here?

The women withdrew from each other, happy as Larry.

Suddenly, Morgana lurched forward, gasping in pain.

"Do you mind?" her mother seethed acidly. "You are ruining my dress!"

"Morgana!" Ursula said.

She took a step forward.

"Stay back," Kunama warned, holding up hand to ward Ursula off. "This is my sacrifice, you've done yours."

She kicked the woman in the leg, making Morgana drop to her knees. "Now to expose the heart."

Reaching into the tight bodice of her gown, Kunama pulled out an onyx blade.

"Take this heart, my deity. Take it and bless me!" she panted.

Raising the bloodied dagger above her head, Kunama plunged it hard into her youngest daughter's chest. She dragged the knife through skin, bone and flesh till Ursula could see the still pulsating organ.

Dropping the dagger, Kunama groaned, closed her eyes, and fell into a great swoon.

"Mor-Morgana?" Ursula stuttered aghast and flummoxed. "Morgana?"

Her sister, sprawled out on the cave floor amidst an ever-growing pool of her own blood, stared blindly up at her, cracked lips parted in a silent cry of fear and agony.

"Ohhh …. Never quite enjoyed the fainting part," Kunama grumbled wearily, rubbing a hand at the back of her head. "Now, where was I?"

Ursula looked wildly to her mother who was waking up and pulling herself to her feet.

"You stabbed … You stabbed Morgana." Ursula stammered.

"Clever observation. Yes I did."

"Why?"

"Stupid girl, why do you think?" Kunama spat irritably. "She was my sacrifice to Merjorca!"

"Does …. Where is our father?"

"Circa made it very clear that I was to use him and Bertie for my sacrifices as well as your sister," the woman answered flippantly. "Both had very noble ends, I assure you."

Kneeling beside Morgana, Kunama lifted the bloody piece of meat from the body cavity.

"I must place the other organs on the alter for Merjorca to receive them. Wait here."

Placing Morgana's heart in a corner, Kunama picked up her skirt and hurried out of the cave, leaving Ursula alone with Morgana's corpse.

The former witch of the sea glanced from the alter to her sister's body.

Surely she would wake? Corin had told them they weren't to die.

Surely she would wake?

"Stop gawking at her carcass and help me prepare!" Kunama snapped at her daughter upon her arrival. In her hands, Ursula did not fail to notice, was a bloody sack.

"Watch closely, Ursula. It will be your turn to place the hearts next."

"I thought Morgana would wake up by now," the daughter told her mother frankly, observing her mothers careful placing of the organs. "Corin told us we cannot die."

"Your sister will not be waking up."

The crone took a step back.

"Not waking up?" she parroted, aghast.

Suddenly the alter turned into a flaming pyre. Ursula jumped in alarm and took another step back. Before she could speak, the fire and the hearts disappeared, not even the stench of flesh or smoke remained.

"What happened?" the former witch of the sea demanded passionately. "Why won't Morgana wake up?"

"I obliterated her soul, Ursula. Another handy piece of magic Merjorca taught me after your father and I crossed over to her side."

Ursula stared at the woman, dumbstruck.

Soul obliteration.

"Your father and I asked Merjorca to make you her champion," Kunama continued as if "Soul obliteration" was nothing more then herbs and spices. "Morgana lacked the stamina required thus rendering her only fit for sacrifice. You, on the other hand, are stronger then any of us by miles. You will overthrow Vorlorna, destroy her followers and bring her to her rightful place."

Kunama then wiped the dagger clean with her white handkerchief.

Ursula said nothing.

Her mother sighed.

"This is unlike you, daughter," she murmured.

"I know."

"You thirst for power. Now is your chance to seize it. Why are you hesitating?"

Ursula shook her head.

Kunama sighed again then retrieved the other sack.

"You only need two hearts," she said, pulling Eric's heart out of the bag.

"How am I supposed to get the other one?" Ursula demanded angrily. "I can't go out like this! Your youth spell doesn't last long enough!"

After neatly placing Eric's heart on the alter, Kunama rose to her full height, locking her hardened gaze with Ursula's.

"You won't need that spell anymore," she answered solemnly. She handed Ursula the dagger. "My heart is yours to take."

Ursula stared wide eyed at the obsidian knife in her mother's hands.

Her hesitation cost her.

Losing her temper, Kunama struck her daughter, sending Ursula spiralling to the floor in a heap.

"Fool!" the woman spat. "Must I do everything for you?"

Spitting out blood, Ursula awkwardly staggered to her feet.

"No," she mumbled. "I can do this."

Kunama nodded.

"That's better," she told Ursula coldly. "Now strike. Merjorca is waiting."

OoO

Ursula watched sagely as the flames consumed the hearts.

Odd. They ate the flesh at a more leisurely pace this time.

'_So what now?'_ she thought looking away from the sight.

"You do as I command."

Ursula swung around.

A Cecaelia sat in the very centre of the alter. The woman was black all over minus her crimson tentacles and maroon eyes. Her mouth, chin and throat were covered in blood.

"Mmm, the succulent heart of a young prince," the woman groaned, licking her sensuous lips. "I've not tasted that in … many, many centuries."

"Merjorca?" Ursula whispered.

The aggressor regarded Ursula with dark assessing eyes.

"Yes," she murmured thoughtfully, not dignifying Ursula's question with an answer. "Your mother was right. You will do. But certainly not as you are … Kneel child. There is much to be done."

Ursula kneeled, grimacing in pain as she forced her arthritic knees to bend.

"Ahhh … I that see my sister's favourites took a great deal from you," Merjorca observed in her unfathomable voice. "How you must hate them."

Yawning, she spread out her tentacles, stretching them languorously.

"Change," she drawled lazily.

Ursula doubled over, screaming in pain.

Merjorca grimaced in discomfort and covered her ears.

"Wet blanket," she muttered under her breath.

Sobbing, Ursula writhed on the floor whilst her body continued its brutal transformation. Black, bloody tentacles spewed from all sides of her lower body. Her already immense upper body grew larger and fatter until her clothes tore apart and flew in all directions.

Merjorca yawned.

"Yes, yes," she drawled, rolling her eyes. "It hurts. It hurts. You can't stand the pain. You want your mother to give you a cuddle. Awww, diddums. Stop whinging you deplorable mule! It will be over in another minute!"

Ursula screamed again, gagged then began to convulse violently.

"Little bitch!" Merjorca spat maliciously. "Why did I bother?"

Ursula moaned.

"Waste of space," the aggressor murmured.

Ursula groaned.

"Waste of time."

OoO

Trembling, Ursula sat up. She stared about herself then looked down at her body.

It was not the sleek powerful body she was always so proud of. It was fat, repulsive … Utterly ineffectual.

"No!" she shrieked. "No! I want better then this! I deserve better then this!"

She whirled on Merjorca.

"You lying fossil!" she roared contemptuously. "Change me! I want you to change me right now!"

Merjorca snorted.

"You do not order me around, young one" she told the other Cecaelia sardonically. "And I think fossil is a bit insulting. I'm only a little over two million."

Ursula bared her teeth.

"I do not want to look like a hag anymore, you cantankerous old fart!" she spat. "Mother promised me-"

"Your mother told you that you would be my champion," Merjorca answered calmly. "Nothing more. You, Ursula, will do exactly as I command and if you are a good girl, I will give you your youth back. Understood?"

Ursula pouted.

The aggressor barked with laughter.

"Shall I return you to your human form then obliterate your soul? Is that what you want, child?"

"No," the sullen witch admitted bitterly, pouting.

Merjorca nodded, pleased.

"Good girl. Now get into the water. We only have five months to annihilate my sister and five months only."

_**End of part thirteen**_

_**Authors note**_

Will Genevieve really attack the mer people? What will Ursula and Merjorca do? How will Ariel react to Eric's death?

Eric's death was required specifically for the storyline, not to annoy Eric fans. And no, his soul was not obliterated.

I'm not really sure what kind of fan base Morgana has. Perhaps smaller then Ursula's and Ariel's, I'm only guessing here.

If you are a Morgana fan like me, please understand that I wasn't all that happy to kill her off. I found Morgana to be perhaps the best thing about TLM 2 aside from Undertow, but again, the storyline required her to kick the bucket.

Now, new characters looks are based on …

Kunama-Amanda Redman from "New Tricks"

Circa-Tom Ward "Silent Witness"

Merjorca-Thandie Newton "Mission Impossible 2,"

Ariel's new looks are based on either Uma Thurman "The producers" or Anne Hathaway "The princess diaries and The devil wears Prada".

Next, the last chappie! Or perhaps I may feel like writing a fifteenth, who knows!

Leah.


	14. Part 14

_**She dreams, part 14**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

Ariel and Corin are about to receive some very unsolicited news.

_**Disclaimer**_

Rated M for sexual content.

All flames will be ignored. Written in Australian and UK grammar.

I do not own a thing except DVDs and a few books. I would love an Ursula figurine but they are too, too dear.

This chapter is dedicated to Sophia Myless' smile.

_**The presence chamber**_

Ariel and Corin were in the middle of discussing the unifying plan for Triton when Sorja exploded into the chamber.

"Sorja!" Corin yelled angrily. "What in the-"

"You're not going to believe this!" the emperor gasped. "Eric. He's dead. The human queen and his princess are blaming Triton and his people. They're maintaining that they have evidence that mer people were answerable and want to destroy them."

The colour fell away from Ariel's cheeks.

"No," she breathed.

"This might be the leverage we need," Sorja continued breathlessly, ignorant of Ariel's shock.

"Sorja!" Corin yelled again.

"No listen!" Sorja insisted. "Just listen. Triton and the rest are in danger, yeah? If we promise to aid him in this war-"

"Why aid him when we can offer him and the others sanctuary?" Ariel finished, pushing her previous aghast aside and focusing on the current quandary. "That way no one dies."

"Ariel, they will die," Corin reminded her gently. "They are not like us."

The Queen shook her head.  
"No, you misunderstand me," she told her mate. "I'm not saying they won't die. I'm saying that they shouldn't die in a war. We can't simply wait in our corner of the ocean and let this happen. The mer people can't be expected to survive for long because the humans will find a way to destroy them! My father will be bound to want to fight back! He'll kill dozens of humans before they'll be able to kill him."

"If we can bring Triton and his people here, we should be able to avoid a bloodbath and see if we can find any converted Cecaelians," Sorja added earnestly. "There's a real chance there are some in his kingdom. It's is a win, win situation, Corin."

"Triton tried to murder our daughter, Sorja," Corin reminded darkly, putting an arm around his queen's waist. "In case you've forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten. Corin, you have to remember that Triton has never met Kali. Once he does, she'll have him wrapt around her little finger. No one can resist her, everyone knows that."

"He's right," Ariel agreed. "She can make a great white love her just by looking at it."

Corin tilted his head heavenwards.

"And where are we going to put them all?" he asked sardonically.

Sorja rolled his eyes.

"There are plenty of chambers. We can fit six thousand in here and still have space."

Cora and Shellsa entered.

"You summoned us?" the empress asked, looking to Ariel.

"We're heading out to meet my father," she told the women.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet!" Corin snapped at Ariel who merely shrugged.

"This is my father we're talking about," she replied nonchalantly. "We're helping him."

"Bringing them in here is a good idea," Shellsa said, having at last been telepathically informed of the plan. "The humans won't be able to infiltrate my shields," she then added proudly.

Sorja ruffled her hair affectionately.

"That's my girl," he praised.

Corin swore and pinched his nose.

"Corin, I _am_ helping him," Ariel stated firmly, his annoyance getting to her. "I would prefer to have your collaboration in this, but I easily can do it without it and without you."

"You will have to watch Goddess knows how many die in front of you," the Cecaelian warned his wife austerely. "Can you handle that?"

Ariel squared her shoulders.

"I have to."

Her beloved sighed.

"Is that a yes?" Cora inquired, arching an eyebrow.

Corin glared at her.

"Before we do anything, we have to travel to the surface and have an audience with Genevieve and the human Queen," he told them gruffly. "I want to see this proof they claim to possess."

"Will you both be wanting shield orbs?" Shellsa asked.

"Definitely," Corin replied tersely.

The auburn haired Cecaelia nodded.

"I'll have them sorted for you. It shouldn't be too long."

"You don't have to do this," Corin murmured to her whilst the others sped off in their appointed directions. "I can easily go alone."

Ariel shook her head.

"No, I need to see Eric."

_**The surface, the palace presence chamber**_

Standing beside the twin thrones, Grimsby eyed the man and woman suspiciously. The woman, intriguingly familiar, appeared fair and quite staid and stood beside her companion, a tall slender man, wearing a loose fitting silk black shirt and black callouts with auburn hair cascading about her shoulders, down to her slim waist in glistening waves.

The man was pale as well. His hair was as black as his companion's shirt. It curled about his broad shoulders in bristling waves. He wore a crisp white shirt and tight fitting black breeches. A black and gold scabbard with a sword hung by his waist, one of his large hands rested on its hilt as if preparing to attack, Grim had thought to have a guard take the blade from him but the coldness in the stranger's odd coloured eyes seemed to intimidate him more then the actual weapon it's self.

"Her majesty and the princess will be here shortly," he told the pair. "In the meantime may I offer you something in terms of refreshment?"

The woman shook her head.

"We're fine, thank you."

Grim looked to the man somewhat surprised he had allowed his female companion to answer for him.

The handsome stranger merely arched an eyebrow, it was as if he were daring Grim to voice the reason for his bamboozlement.

The advisor decided to let it be, after all, it was his fancy that these people were not of these parts.

Perhaps this woman enjoyed equality with this odd man?

"I see," he murmured quietly, raising a white handkerchief to pat at his dry lips. "Very well."

OoO

Whilst she made her entrance, the queen's cold, proud eyes took in her guests for a moment or so before she spoke in her mellifluous, imperial resonance.

"The king is not fit to see visitors."

The tall dark haired man bowed his head respectfully.

"That is fine, your majesty."

Grim scuffed his feet apprehensively. This was not how things usually went at the court. Should the king not be available to meet with guests Eric would have been the one to take over, certainly not a woman.

The queen stared at the man for a long time then blinked.

"What is it you would speak to the princess and I about?" she asked finally. "We have a state funeral to arrange."

Before either visitor could answer, Genevieve and her ladies in waiting entered.

Eric's widow's countenance was drained and dejected but it automatically lit up when she saw the man dressed in black.

The princess cupped a hand over her mouth then flew to him, weeping as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Y-your highness!" Grim gasped. "Your manners!"

"Corin I am so glad to see you!" she babbled, withdrawing. "Everything has been torn apart!"

"We've received word that Eric was killed," the man, Corin, told the princess tersely, ignoring Grim. "We would know why, Genevieve."

The royal bit her lip, her joyful disposition slipped from her face and she put a hand on her stomach.

"Pray what business is it of yours?" the queen asked, frowning at Corin.

"I am the one who arranged the union between your son and Genevieve, your majesty," Corin told the woman calmly. "Eric has regrettably left my ward in a sorry state. I demand to know all the ins and outs."

Grimsby took a step forward.

"Now see here-"

"It was Triton," Genevieve interjected readily. "He attacked Eric because of Ariel."

The Cecaelian queen flinched sharply at the mention of her father's name.

"How can you be so definite?" she whispered before she could stop herself. "Eric made certain my father would not feel threatened after the demise of our marriage."

Genevieve's hand left her belly, her sweet face hardened.

"So you came too?" she whispered looking at Ariel with frosty eyes. "I thought I would not see you for many years to come."

"I thought the same," the Cecaelian queen replied. "I came to see Eric. If there is a state funeral, I and Corin would like to attend."

"There will be a state funeral, but you will not be welcome."

"I don't understand."

"I'll put it in a way you shall then. I will not have a defender of my husband's murderer at his funeral. You abandoned Eric. You have no right to be there."

Ariel's cheeks burned.

"I left for him!" she spat furiously. "I left so he could be happy!"

"No, you left to please yourself!" Genevieve spat. "You could have stayed, but you didn't. You left him and I had to pick up the pieces!"

"Enough!" Corin snapped glaring at both women. "This helps no one."

Sighing heavily, licking his lips, Corin turned to address the queen.

The beautiful woman was scowling at both Genevieve and Ariel. It seemed she was in agreement with him about their lack of composure.

"Your majesty. My queen and I were informed by my brother that you possess ample corroboration that it was Triton and his people who murdered your son, may we be allowed to see it?"

The human queen nodded.

"Let them see the scroll, Grimsby," she told the advisor crisply. "It is their right."

"I am telling you it was Triton!" Genevieve insisted angrily whilst Grim walked out of the room. "Who else could it be?"

"How dare you!" Ariel roared.

"I said enough!" Corin told his ward sternly. "You have had your say. We will see the scroll and discuss it from there."

The Cecaelian clasped her hands behind her back, feeling only slightly smug in the knowledge that her mate was not going to let his wards livid outbursts sway him from their course.

As if reading her mind, Corin cast her a warning look then swiftly returned his gaze to her former mother in law.

"Our thanks," he told the royal dryly.

The sovereign pursed her lips.

Grim returned with the scroll. Handing it over to Corin, he promptly returned to her majesty's side, standing closer to the monarch then what human protocol would deem appropriate.

'_Goddess, is he in love with her?'_ Ariel asked mentally.

"Look at this," Corin said, taking her away from the pair of possible lovers. "Ariel, is this legitimate or not?"

The queen looked at the intricate golden swirls. The masterful formation of the letters. The masculinity of it all.

There was a scent. Faint, very faint.

Her lips curled in disgust. Her eyes darkened.

"Who found the letter?" she hissed.

Grim and the queen flinched at the fierce serpentine tone of voice. Genevieve frowned.

"Sir Bunton found it," Genevieve murmured. "Beside Eric's body."

"What is it?" Corin asked, rolling up the scroll. "Was it Triton?"

Ariel shook her head.

"It isn't Triton's," she said softly. "I have to see Eric's body."

"Oh no you do not!" Genevieve snapped. "I do not want you anywhere near him!"  
"Who else would it be if not Triton?" Corin asked Ariel, ignoring Genevieve. "Do you have an inkling."

"I do," Ariel replied. "I'm pretty much certain."

"You are not setting one foot near my husband!" Genevieve vowed through clenched teeth.

Ariel rolled her eyes.

"Don't make me use violence," she warned the princess in an indolent manner. "I don't like to hit females."

Corin sighed and folded his arms across his chest.

"And watch you sob all over his body?" Genevieve demanded incredulously. "No, you gave up on the perfect human. You can't expect to come back and reclaim him!"

The Cecaelian queen burst out laughing.

"Eric was far from perfect, Genevieve!" she proclaimed breathlessly. "Didn't his mother tell you that he was Grimsby's son?"

Cassandra blanched at this whilst Corin and Genevieve stared at Eric's first wife in utter shock.

"A-a bastard?" the princess stuttered. "Eric … Eric is not the king's son?"

"The king was infertile," Ariel continued hurriedly, ignoring everyone but Genevieve. "The queen slept with Grim so she could conceive male issue."

The human queen gave Ariel a dark look.

"I told you that in confidence, deceitful girl!" she hissed.

"You told me that to keep me away so that this doe eyed twit could take my place!" Ariel spat in her rejoinder.

Corin moved her side.

"Stop this, now," he murmured putting a hand on her arm. "You are in danger of causing irreparable damage, Ariel."

"Eric and I were related?" Cassandra whispered, face white with astonishment. She turned meekly to the equally shaken advisor. "Uncle … how could you not tell me? Tell him?"

"Because he loved me," the queen said vehemently, staring down at Cassandra from her long nose. "I forbade him to tell anyone of our secret. If he had we all would have perished." She gave Ariel a scathing look. "And now, little fool, now you have ruined everything. I do so hope you are satisfied with your lot."

"With the greatest respect, she has not, your majesty," Grim protested softly. "My niece and I will dismiss ourselves from this court. You may say I left due to grief. There will be no scandal."

The queen bowed her head, fiddling with her rosary with white hands.

"Your majesty, the body," Corin said urgently. "We must see it before it goes to ground."

"I will show you the way," Grim said. "Cassandra, see to the princess and her majesty. We will not be long."

"Cassandra, stay with the queen. I must make sure that this snake in the grass does not foul my husband's body," Genevieve muttered, leaving the queen's side.

Ariel rolled her eyes.

'_Brilliant, just brilliant,'_

_**An abbey**_

Ariel and Corin said nothing whilst they made their observations. The pair circled the body, occasionally bending over certain areas and sniffing it.

"What on earth are they doing?" Grim asked Genevieve in a low voice.

"They are using smell to ascertain who may have killed Eric."

Genevieve replied, frowning at Ariel.

Finally, the Cecaelians withdrew from the corpse.

"What is it?" Grim asked. "Have you found something?"

"It smells like mer people," Corin said.

"So it was Triton," Genevieve whispered.

The Cecaelian monarch shook his head.

"No necessarily. Mer people do not pluck out hearts."

Grim frowned.

"So you are saying that someone is attempting to frame mer people for this?" he asked Corin and Ariel.

"That's impossible," Genevieve muttered sardonically.

"Sorry to contradict you, your highness, but it is not impossible," Ariel said evenly. "There are various scents on the scroll. Only one is of a mer person. The others are human. Curiously enough, there are several Cecaelian scents lingering there. They are faint but they are there."

"Of course they are! You've been pawing all over his body!" Genevieve cried.

Ariel sighed.

No matter what she said to this woman ….

Corin put an arm around her waist.

'_Don't even think about going for her throat,'_ he told her mentally. _'Or I will drag you back to the realm by your hair,'_

"We feel that we have sufficient proof that it was not mer people who attacked and murdered Eric," Corin told the man and woman steadily. "We ask that you abort any plans of attacking Triton."

"No!" Genevieve shouted furiously. "It was Triton who killed him, it is Triton who has to pay!" She whirled on Corin, face alight with passion. "How positive are you that it was not mer people who murdered Eric? One hundred percent? Two hundred?"

Corin hesitated.

"Ninety five," he revealed reluctantly. "We are ninety five percent positive."

"And Triton hates our kind. This outcome could be precisely what he wants!" Genevieve said with earnest.

She turned to Ariel.

"Please," she begged. "Mer people executed you and converted your soul. Triton wanted to kill your own child. How can you be so blind? How can you not consider the fact that he _could_ be responsible for Eric's death? He's not even your father. None of us have a father."

Feeling pained, the queen lowered her head, biting her lower lip.

"Genevieve … I have to hear his side of the story," she whispered. "I can't just step back and let you attack him. That wouldn't be right."

"You've suffered a great loss, Genevieve," Corin continued sagely. "But think of how horrific it would have been had one of your children were taken from you as well. Surely it would be better cherishing the time you have with them rather then chasing after revenge?"

Genevieve said nothing.

Grim wiped at his eyes with a silk handkerchief then turned to her.

"Your highness … I think it would be best to do what your guardian says. Perhaps … perhaps we should wait until they can present clearer evidence?"

Genevieve still did not speak.

"We will speak with Triton," Corin promised. "Then return to you with the final verdict. This way if Triton is found guilty we can evacuate those who do not wish to fight."

"Not wish to fight?" Genevieve echoed slowly, eyes growing wider and wider.

Ariel felt a chill travel down her spine.

"Genevieve, see reason," Corin implored. "There are women with children. There are ailing people. You cannot expect to battle against all of them."

The princess gave nothing as a response, there was a light in her eyes the Cecaelian queen did not like.

"I would like to say farewell to Eric," Ariel said to the woman and two men. "In private, please."

Genevieve scowled but Grim was quick to act.

"Of course, your majesty."

Corin brushed his fingers against her wrist.

"I'll wait for you outside," he told her softly. "Take your time with him."

OoO

As soon as the door closed behind her, Ariel approached Eric's body.

She trialled her fingers along his crisp, white shirt, saying nothing, blinking occasionally.

He seemed serene. So very unlike the man she had left behind.

Ariel sighed.

"You didn't deserve this," she whispered to the body. "You were a good person … Goddess, Eric! I wish I had never come into your life."

Tears were fast sliding past her cheeks now.

Ariel sniffed and fiercely wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"Oh … Why you?" she choked out. "Why did she do this to you?"

He had ended their marriage, but that was only out of love for his people. He had never wanted to hurt her. He had been a decent man despite the horrible circumstances their union had put him through, despite his adultery.

He had been a decent man.

Ariel closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath.

"I will make the lavender bitch pay," she vowed tersely. "She won't get away with this; I will make her pay in blood!"

She raised Eric's lifeless hand to her lips, kissing it briefly before letting it go and rising to her full height.

"Goodbye," Ariel murmured then took her leave of the corpse that had once been her husband.

OoO

Corin was waiting for her outside the abbey, leaning against an oak tree.

"I'm ready," Ariel told him, dark eyes cool and neutral.

Corin bowed his head.

"What?"

"Genevieve has decided to hold off the attack due to our word," Corin revealed warily.

"But?" the woman asked, her gut twisting into knots.

"I do not trust her. She's too angry to be reasonable."

"So we're to just stand by and let her devastate this kingdom and butcher the mer people till they're extinct?" Ariel demanded, hands on hips and eyes flashing.

"No. Genevieve will get nowhere near your father or his people in the state she is in right now. We have time. It is when she is calm she will be dangerous. Right now any effort she makes to destroy Triton will be clumsy and fruitless."

Corin's queen frowned her displeasure and plucked at the loose material of her shirt.

"What is your plan?" she asked finally, voice strained with disquiet.

"We go to your father tomorrow evening. We tell him what's happening and evacuate as many of his people as possible."

"But why tomorrow? Why not now?" Ariel demanded unhappy with this information.

"We leave for Triton's kingdom tomorrow evening and not earlier because we have to allow Orion time to prepare the guard. All of them."

"The entire guard? But that's just-"

"He will fight us!" Corin snapped abruptly, cutting his queen off. "There is no way he will go quietly. We leave with the entire guard or not at all!"

Ariel stared at him. Her face paled then reddened with anger and shock.

"As you wish," she whispered icily then stalked off in the direction of the ocean.

_**Cecaelian realm, the war room**_

"I've studied the Trident in the past," Shellsa explained to Corin and Orion, holding a flask of silver grey liquid. "We can deflect the bolts by rubbing this on the guards armour and skin."

"Good, if he does endeavour to attack us we won't have time to stop and pick up the dead," Corin said whilst stroking his chin with his thumb. "Ariel also wants to make things complex by not staying at the rear and presenting Kali to Triton," he added bitterly. "Her emergence will not drive the odds in our favour I can tell you that for nothing."

Orion shrugged.

"They'll be right beside you," he pointed out. "We'll have shield orbs positioned right around the castle. Even if he does blast off an arm or limb, you'll get them back here quickly."

"That's not the point!" Corin snarled. "Triton will be incensed when he sees her and Kali. We all know he hates us. We all know that he will lash out at Ariel for choosing to be with us and we all know how much that will wound her!"

"Corin, she is strong," Shellsa insisted gently. "Even if Triton does hurt her she will not let him hamper her for long. You have got to stop worrying. It's not going to help anyone."

Corin said nothing.

"Would arming her put you more at ease?" Orion asked him, trying to calm his friend. "She hasn't done much in ways of self defence since her resurrection but I'm sure she can figure out how to use the spears and short sword."

_**The guard-training arena**_

Ariel watched her mate whilst he selected spear after spear.

"What is this all about?" she asked wearily, folding her arms across her chest.

"If Triton loses it after seeing you with Kali I want to be certain you can defend still yourself."

Ariel frowned at him.

"I won't need to defend myself," she replied. "Kali and I will be fine."

He handed her a short sword.

"Humour me."

Reluctantly, the queen took the weapon from her mate. To her it was light, but to a mer person or human it would be found incredibly cumbersome to wield due to its weight.

"Do I attack you?" she asked her husband.

Corin shook his head.

"Warm up first."

He watched her practice with the short sword then tossed her spear after spear until she held one in one hand and the remainders within her tentacles.

"Now what?" Ariel demanded. "Are we going to spar?"

Corin bit his lip.

"No."

The woman felt an unwanted sensation crawl down her spine. She ran her tongue over her lips.

"Corin what are you doing?" she asked him agitatedly.

Corin turned away and an apparition of a mer man appeared in his place.

Ariel stiffened.

Gundred's son Jorgen.

The man was staring at her resentfully, cradled in his large hands was a short sword.

"I don't want this," Ariel whispered, hoping her mate would take pity on her. "I don't want to fight."

The apparition leapt at her and thusly, the battle began.

_**A mer people colony**_

Laughing, Ursula clutched the sobbing mermaid to her bosom.

"Such a sweet little thing," she cooed, brushing the black tresses of hair from her prey's eyes with cool lavender fingers. "Pity I have to kill you now, hmmm? Yesss …"

She casually flicked her reptilian tongue against the alabaster skin of the girl's throat.

"Please," the struggling captive begged. "Please I'll do anythi-"

Her sentence ended with a deafening crack as Ursula effortlessly broke her neck.

A disgusting monstrosity waddled toward the Cecaelia. The creature looked like a beige coloured ogre covered with fresh and old blood stains with a hunch back, and thin, bony hands with claws attached hence reminding the powerful witch of eagles talons.

"Merjorca has returned to her lair, Lady Ursula," it reported in a guttural, metallic resonance.

Ursula nodded, letting the deceased mer girl drop to the floor.

"Brilliant, my dear. Send word that I'm heading south." The witch then made a face and shoved the girl's corpse toward the creature with her tentacles. "Oh, and convert that," she drawled. "Before the soul wanders off. We still have an army to put together, you know, no slacking!"

The horrendous monster licked it's thin, maroon lips then bent over, picking up the carcass.

Ursula was about to find another innocent to put to slaughter when she was interrupted again.

"My lady."

The witch groaned.

"What is it now?" she spat. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"We've received word that the human princess has called off the attack on Triton, claiming she has information to take into consideration."

The Cecaelia bared her teeth.

"The little bitch!" she snarled.

"Oh do calm down, Ursula. Really, your conniptions are becoming rather droll of late."

Merjorca slid out from behind a growing mound of corpses, rolling her eyes at her champion.

"Go south, my child," she murmured wearily. "I'll deal with our little problem on my own."

"What are you going to do?" Ursula asked, intrigued.

The aggressor snapped her fingers and In an instant became the sea king.

Ursula balked at this.

"I'm off to the surface, child," Merjorca informed briskly. "I'm going to ruin the royal families lives, again, with Triton's compliments. Once I'm finished the princess will forget any reason she has left and will want vengeance. The hate she will bare for Triton and his people will destroy her. Triton will be so busy fending off her offences he won't see you coming until it's far too late. Ta, ta!"

_**The Cecaelian realm, Ariel and Corin's chambers**_

Nestled against Corin's chest, Ariel found herself pondering rather then sleeping.

Although she had been quite livid with Corin's rather abrupt training method, she did see the sense of it and reluctantly thanked him.

'_At least he wants me to fight,'_ she thought wryly. _'I'd feel so stifled if I were stuck here,'_

She rolled over, facing him.

He woke after a few minutes, blinking wearily at her.

"What are you up to?" he asked groggily.

Ariel smiled faintly.

"I wanted to thank you," she replied.

He eyed her suspiciously.

"For being hard on you?" he asked slowly.

She laughed softly.

"Yes, for being hard on me," Ariel replied. "I know what you're worried about and I am grateful for the pushing."

The last time they had been in a battle she had not been by his side. They had been separated.

Corin took her face in his hands.

"You will not leave my side," he told her firmly. "I lost you before I cannot do so again. I would rather you and our daughter stay here but I know you would never agree to that."

The woman laughed again, her sweet face crinkling with merriment.

"No, I wouldn't. I'm not here to obey you, Corin."

He rolled his eyes.

"Wench," he growled. "May I go back to sleep?"

Ariel pursed her lips.

"You could," she said. "But I can think of one or two more things that don't require sleeping, my love. Interested?"

He let her go, watching her sit up.

"Very," he replied softly.

_**Triton's kingdom, the presence chamber**_

"Your majesty. I've received word."

Warily, the mer king looked up at the approaching merman and sighed.

"Are they closer?" he asked.

"Yes, your majesty, and have grown in numbers."

Triton sighed again and put a hand to his brow.

"Your majesty. As head of your guard you know I will never leave your side."

Triton smiled grimly.

"I take comfort in that, Dormer, but I daresay Attina will not. Remember, you and she share a son and a marriage."

Dormer nodded.

"Sometimes we have to sacrifice our happiness for the lives of our people," he said tersely. "I believe we both can do such a thing, your majesty."

_**The end of part 14**_

_**Authors note**_

Yeah, I did type that I was going to end it here but I've got a lot going on at the mo with moving to a new town, studying business admin and working. I thought this chapter had been proof read enough and I may have enough imagination to add the rest of the story into one last chapter.

Coming up next.

Cecaelians and mer people unite … or do they? And will Merjorca supplant her sister? Will Ariel have her vengeance on Ursula?

You'll have to wait and see.

Also, a huge thank you must go to Miko the vampire for letting me take part in the Ursula and Ariel fem slash challenge. I am really chuffed that you enjoyed my fic


	15. Part 15

_**She dreams, part 15**_

_**By Leah**_

_**Summary**_

The Cecaelians and the mer people are in danger.

_**Disclaimer**_

I do not own a thing.

Written in UK and Australian spelling and grammar.

Rated a huge M for fem slash, short rape scenes, consensual sexual content, mild incest, murder and violence.

All flames will be used for giggling purposes.

I'd like to thank EVA_Unit_4A from the "poor unfortunate souls" forum for telling me about the correct age of Attina. I did think she was the eldest, it turns out that she is in fact the middle child and it is in fact Aquata who is the eldest.

_**The Cecaelian realm, Corin and Ariel's chambers**_

Ariel moaned sleepily, awakening to Corin's hands lightly running over the small of her back.

"You want to go again?" she mumbled against the sponge. "Not four times in one night surely."

His lips pressed against her cheek.

"It's time."

The queen stiffened in his arms.

"Ariel?"

She almost wanted to stay where she was. It was peaceful inside their clam, warm, quiet. No one was angry or afraid.

Corin ran his fingers through her hair, waiting to see what she would do.

Ariel sighed heavily.

"I have to feed Kali," she mumbled and slid out of the embrace, reaching out to push the lid upwards. "I'll meet you in the presence chamber later, alright?"

Watching her leave, Corin frowned.

Something was not entirely right. And it was more then just jitters over the prospect of seeing her father again.

_**Sobe's chambers**_

"Ariel, you're early."

"I'm sorry Sobe, but this couldn't wait," the queen replied, balancing Kali on her hip. "I was wondering …"

The brown skinned Cecaelian midwife arched an eyebrow.

"Wondering?"

"I've forgotten the pregnancy signs. I was hoping you'd-"

"Cora reminded you of this, did she not?" Sobe asked, a hand on her hip.

"She did," Ariel admitted cagily. "To be honest, I really, really don't want to have ask her to show me all over again because I don't know if I am with child."

Sobe nodded.

"I see," she murmured. "You're worried she'll tell Corin and you don't want him to be disappointed if you aren't carrying an egg."

"I know she is," the monarch replied. "But I'd feel so much calmer if this were kept just between us for now."

"Cora's good at keeping her word, Ariel. Have you two quarrelled?"

"No!" the queen cried, aghast. "I just need some assurance that I know can be given in private. Please lend me a tome or diagrams. I won't need them for very long."

Sobe shook her head, waving her hand dismissively.

"Put Kali on the clam with my boys and lie down here. I'll look at you and give you an answer you know will be accurate."

"But I-"

"Don't protest. You know I can finish this in a flash. Now lie down."

Frowning, Ariel grudgingly obeyed.

OoO

"Your limb is definitely swollen," Sobe told Ariel.

Gently manoeuvring the appendage, the midwife ran a finger lightly over the sucker. "And red and hot. Have you scratched it, bruised it?"

Ariel shook her head.

"Has Corin been particularly rough with you during intercourse?"

"No, he hasn't, but I've been swelling around that area for a week now and felt a little sore on my left side top sucker."

"Have you two mated recently or on a regular basis?"

"Last week," Ariel replied wearily. "And twice the week before. I've been on heat for a particularly long time. Cora told me it was only because my body is still adjusting."

"Hmmm," Sobe mused. "Alright." She pointed at a space between Ariel's tentacles. "The eggs grow here, under the skin," she explained patiently. "Then pop out of a sucker, usually on the right side. Very rarely on the left. Your sucker is hot and swollen, but there isn't any pus, and it's the left, not the right."

"But you didn't say that it couldn't be on the left," Ariel pointed out.

Sobe nodded.

"No, that's true. Now, as the eggs or egg develop," she went on, "they will push their way out of the sucker then move lower and lower till they drop off the tip of tentacle then hatch. It usually takes three or six months depending on how many eggs you are carrying."

"Yanta put hers inside her … well; she put it in her …"

"Vagina?"

Ariel nodded, blushing deeply.

"Sometimes if the eggs or the egg is threatened or slow to hatch, a mother can put it in there to keep it safe or to encourage growth. I did it with my boys. Cora did it with Nina and Nona."

"Does it hurt?"

"It's different for all of us."

Ariel sighed.

OoO

"So, am I with child, Sobe?"

"Well it's too soon to tell if you are," the midwife murmured whilst stroking her chin thoughtfully.

Ariel licked her lips and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"In the mean time don't over use the limb," Sobe advised. "Keep it still as often as you can. Elevate it when you can. You may have simply strained it."

"And if an egg is produced?" the queen asked. "Janelle and Guff had an empty egg last week."

"Not everyone has fertile eggs the first time, Ariel. Ursula didn't."

"That's because Corin and Cora made certain she didn't."

"Alright that was a poor example, just because your first attempt was not successful does not mean it will be again. You carried Baarj and Kali without a problem, didn't you? Who's to say this one won't be an easy ride?"

Ariel smiled weakly and rose from the table.

"Thank you," she said. "You're right. I need to stop worrying … I'd best be off before Corin starts looking for us."

"Good luck with Triton," the midwife said warmly, picking up Kali and handing her to her mother. "I hope he isn't too difficult."

The queen pursed her lips.

"So do I," she thought uncomfortably.

_**The Cecaelian realm, the war room**_

Corin was relieved when he saw his mate swimming toward him.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she told him then looked over her shoulder at the men and women waiting behind them.

Corin reached for her hand, squeezing it firmly.

"A united front," he said.

"A united front," Ariel murmured, agreeing, returning the squeeze. "Let's go."

The monarch nodded and then he and his queen led their people out of the realm and toward Triton's palace.

_**Triton's palace, the presence chamber**_

"Ya Majesty!"

Triton looked up from his parchment, sighing at the frightened Sebastian and equally unnerved Flounder.

"What is it?" he sighed.

"Cec-Cec-" Sebastian stuttered.

"Yes?"

"Cec-Cec-Cecaelians!" Flounder added fretfully.

"What of them?"

"Dere-Dere-Dere-"

"Your majesty, there are six thousand Cecaelians headed this way!" Dormer cried as he burst into the chamber. "Their leaders claim they want an audience with you!"

Anger swelled in Triton's breast.

Snarling with rage, he pounded his throne with his fist.

How dare they assume they could speak with him after defiling his precious Ariel and her babe?

How dare they!

"I will give the bastards more then words!" the merman bellowed. "Bring them here to me!"

OoO

Ariel felt her stomach twist into anxious knots. She swallowed thickly, holding her head high whilst gliding toward the massive throne alongside Corin.

Her father was in view. He sat on his opulent throne, scowling and gripping his deadly trident with both hands, blue tail swishing faintly.

"That's close enough," said a deep, booming voice.

She looked to her right to see Jorgen emerge from behind the throne and shivered with repulsion.

"Why have you come?" Triton asked, not making an effort to keep the dislike from his voice.

"We would speak with you," Corin replied. "It is our wish that our people unify, Triton."

The great merman's scowl became deeper still.

"You have come here with a request for amalgamation," he remarked wryly. "And yet it seems to me you would rather have a war."

"There has already been war between us. There does not need to be again," Sorja reminded gently.

Triton shook his head.

"Your kind are not welcome in my realm. Not after what you did to my daughter, to Jorgen's mother."

"With the greatest respect, Gundred tried to murder my wife and child," Corin stated. "I begged her to let us leave but she would not heed me. I had little choice but to kill her in the end."

Triton paled slightly.

"My daughter is here?" he asked softly.

Ariel licked her lips, trying to remember her old voice, the accent, the clarity.

"D-Daddy," she managed to stammer.

Triton looked as if he were about to fall out of his throne.

"You," he breathed. "You … You have changed."

"It's still me," Ariel promised.  
She moved forward.

Spears in hand, Dormer and Jorgen blocked her path.

Corin bared his teeth and slipped a protective arm around Ariel's waist hence drawing her back.

"You're an abomination," Triton snarled, staring at her. "They have turned you into an abomination."

"No!" the woman protested. "I was a Cecaelia long before I was a mermaid, you have to understand this!"

The monarch shook his head.

"All I understand is that you have been contaminated. I cannot see you as my child. Not anymore."

"You heartless bastard!" Orion cried.

Shellsa moved forward.

"King Triton," she addressed smoothly. "I was once a mermaid once. I was part of a colony not far from here. My mother was Yasna and my father's name was Balin, do you remember them?"

"I do," Triton admitted reluctantly. "Yasna was forced upon by her colony's guardians. When she learnt she was with child she asked for the fetus to be terminated. No one would do so because to have an abortion in those times was against our people's law."

"Yes," Shellsa said. "So she sought out a Cecaelia for aid. She did not want to carry the offspring of a monster inside her.

When the mer people from her colony learnt she was going to destroy the fetus they forced Corin to punish the midwife. That was not the only thing they did. They banished my mother. They made her leave her family, her friends."

Shellsa turned to Corin and Ariel, smiling warmly.

"It was Corin and Ariel who helped my mother reunite with her family. It was they who helped her find a decent and kind merman who would never mistreat her."

"What happened to your mother was a very grave thing, Cecaelia," Triton admitted. "But I do not see how this affects this meeting."

"I shall explain," Shellsa assured him. "It is because of Ariel and Corin I respected and loved the Cecaelian people when others discriminated against them. I nearly paid for my defence and love with my own life. It was only luck and the love that my mate Sorja bore for me that made me change into a Cecaelia. I was not coerced into it.

Corin is the same. He did not coerce Ariel into anything. They were separated many, many years ago. She merely found her way back to him."

"How very touching," Jorgen sneered.

Dormer said nothing. He kept his head bowed, listening the whole time.

"You had no right to touch my daughter," Triton rumbled ominously at Corin. "Why didn't you leave her alone?"

"I gave her every chance to leave and return to you and to Eric." Corin replied. "She made her choice. She chose me. She accepted me."

The merman could not comprehend this.

This was wrong. It was unjust.

This was inconceivable.

"Only because you poisoned her mind and soul," he insisted stubbornly. "Ariel is dead to me because of you. Her and the child."

"That child," Cora announced in a resonance that was both calm and clear. "Is right here."

Elegantly, the beautiful empress made her way toward the grand throne.

In her arms, cooing adorably at everyone, was little Kali.

"By Neptune, she really is lovely," Aquata whispered.

"She looks like …" Flounder shook his head, disbelieving.

"Whom?" Adella pressed, her curiosity heightened. "Who does she look like?"

"Ariel," Sebastian said, red face full of wonder. "She looks like Ariel."  
Flounder looked from the baby to the Cecaelian queen.

"Is it really you in there?" he asked cautiously.

Ariel smiled warmly at him.

"It is," she replied, using the voice he was familiar with before gently blending it into her real one. "I will always be your best friend, Flounder. Nothing's changed."

"You lie," Triton growled, face darkening with rage. "You are not my descendant. You are not their sister! You are an abomination just like the creature you claim to be your daughter!"

"That is not true! I am still me! I am more like myself then I ever was as a mermaid!"

Ariel paused, taking a deep shuddering breath before continuing her tempestuous tirade.

"It is you who cannot see! You are only deceiving yourself by calling my daughter and I unnatural falsehoods!"

"He has every right to not believe a word that comes out of your mouth, woman!" Jorgen stated harshly. "You've unbalanced yourself mixing with this lot. You've fallen from a princess to little better then a whore."

"If you dare to call my queen a whore again and I will cut your throat!" Corin snarled, pushing Ariel behind him.

"Corin!" Shellsa reprimanded.

Frowning angrily at her mate, Ariel moved beside him, putting a hand on his arm.

"Not … here," she murmured, voice as cold as ice.

Barely subdued, Corin obeyed, all the while scowling at Jorgen, tentacles twitching.

"Before we continue this interesting family reunion, there has been a development," Sorja announced. "King Triton, you were seen on the beach below Prince Eric's castle. The princess Genevieve and Eric's mother claim that you lured one of the children into the ocean knowing it would drown."

Triton glared at the Emperor.

"That was not my doing!" he growled.

"Our father would never. He-he could never …" Alana stopped, too upset to go on.

"We have it on good authority that it was not you," Corin said evenly. "That is another reason why we came. My queen and I wish to give you and your people sanctuary from the human attack."

"The princess and queen have declared war on all mer people. They will not rest until the entire race is eradicated," Cora added sagely.

There was a stunned silence.

"No one has to die, Triton," Corin pressed. "Please take this offering. Protect your people."

"Why would you make such an offer to us?" Dormer asked curiously.

"Because my queen would be upset if her other family were to be caught in an onslaught. And what upsets my queen upsets me," Corin answered.

That movement caused the sea king to see red.

"I will never take succour from a Cecaelian!" he spat hatefully. "I would rather die a thousand lingering deaths then hide like a coward amongst contaminated half breeds!"

"No!" Ariel shouted passionately, face ashen with horror. "Daddy, no!"

"This is foolish! You cannot expect to win a war. The humans will surely destroy you one way or another!" Orion protested.

"Then we must put this to a vote," Cora declared smoothly. She handed Kali to Shellsa, moving to float between her brothers. "Those who wish to remain and fight and those who would come with us."

"Corin!" Ariel protested.

"What do you say?" Corin asked Triton.

There was a lengthened moment of silence.

"Sire?" Dormer murmured tightly, hands clutching his weapon.

"I am thinking," Triton growled, tapping his massive fingers upon his trident. "Do not disturb me."

At last, the sea king nodded.

"Very well," he allowed gruffly.

The nod and declaration was met by a united sigh of relief from both Cecaelians and mer people.

Sebastian nearly fainted.

Flounder looked as though he wanted to be sick.

OoO

"We'll make this easy," Sorja announced to the people.

"There need not be any waiting around," Orion added.

"Those who wish to remain with your king must raise their hands," Cora instructed.

"The same goes for those who wish to come with us," Corin said.

Ariel swallowed thickly then wetted her dry lips with her tongue.

OoO

There was a long silence. Occasionally an infant would cry and its mother would make soft noises in order to soothe it.

"Are they ready?" Corin asked Triton after an hour had passed.

The sea king looked at the hordes of people then nodded.

"Yes, I should think so," he replied warily.

"Right," Sorja called out, clapping his hands in order to get everyone's attention. "Everyone coming with us raise your hands."

Attina was one of the first to raise her hand. When seeing her husband and her son were not joining her she panicked.

"No!" the princess shouted. "You can't!"

Rushing over, she grabbed her mate by the arms.

"I won't let you do this! For the love of the Gods, I beg you to change your mind!"

Dormer shook his head.

"I am staying, Attina," he told her resolutely.

"I am your wife!" the distraught woman choked out. "I am your mate! I have been your wife and mate since I was twelve years old! How can you be so cruel? So blind!"

"I have a duty to our king, to your father," Dormer said coldly. "I'd be less of a man if I left him here."

The princess looked to her father.

"I want him to come with me. Order him to come with me!" she demanded.

Triton shook his head.

"I will not trespass on choices only you and he can make, daughter," he replied grimly. "If Dormer wishes to stay then he must do what he sees fit."

Shaking, Attina let go of her mate and backed away.

"You cannot expect to keep our son with you?" she croaked. "Be reasonable, Dormer. He is not ready for a war. He isn't even old enough. Don't take him from me, please don't."

"Mum!" a gangly light brown haired mer boy complained with a miffed roll of his eyes. "I'm fourteen years old for crying out loud."

Attina rushed over, grabbing the pouting youth by his arm, dragging him toward the Cecaelians.

"You're changing your vote," she growled.

Glancing over her shoulder, the princess gave her mate a parting hateful look.

"I hope you get a harpoon through your gut!" she spat. "I don't ever want to see you again!"

OoO

So many were leaving. Even his subjects who were not mer people.

Sebastian, Flounder and their families swam past the throne to float beside Ariel, their faces grave.

"I'm sorry ya majesty," Sebastian had apologised. "But me missus wants ta leave. And if she wants ta go …. Well, nothin I can do bout it but go with her."

"Same here," Flounder added ruefully.

Triton sighed, flexing his fingers before tightening his grip on the trident.

"So, that is the way it is to be," he muttered under his breath. "Very well."  
Grief and fear swelling in her heart, breast and belly, Ariel took Kali from Shellsa and moved toward her father.

"Daddy …"

The monarch scowled at her.

"Please see reason," she pleaded. "There are only fifteen hundred and you left. That isn't enough. You can't win. Come with us and watch your grand daughter grow up."

"For the last time that abhorrence is not my grand daughter!" Triton bellowed, face red with fury. "And you, claiming to be my daughter, are nothing but an impostor!"

Kali whimpered fretfully. She hid her face in her mother's hair.

Ariel shrunk back from the force of the horrible insults.

"Triton, for my queen and princess's sake I strongly urge you to rethink your position!" Corin beseeched.

"Never!" Triton roared, trident gleaming thus mirroring his anger.

The Cecaelian monarch bowed his head.

"So be it," he whispered.

Ariel felt the shocking reality smack into her like a massive boulder.

He wasn't coming with them.

She wanted to die.

He wasn't coming …

"No," she whimpered, staring up at the mer king. "No, no, no."

Even more agitated then ever, poor little Kali began to cry.

Corin immediately drew the woman and child to him.

"I am so sorry," he whispered, pressing his forehead against Ariel's. "I am so, so, sorry ..."

OoO

As soon as all of the Cecaelians were gone, Triton sent what remained of his guard out for surveillance.

"What news?" he asked when Jorgen and Dormer had returned. "Are they getting closer?"

"By little over a fortnight they should be at our gates, your majesty."

Triton bowed his head.

"Maybe … Maybe it is a good thing they went with the Cecaelians," he murmured. "At least we can have some comfort in the knowledge that they will not be harmed."

Jorgen, too full of hate, merely gave a gruff "Yes Sire," and excused himself.

Dormer moved forward.

"Sire, may I speak freely?" he asked.

"Yes Dormer, if you must."

"I thought it most unwise not telling the Cecaelians about this other invasion, don't you, Sire?"

Triton shook his head.

"No Dormer," he said stiffly. "I do not."

_**The Cecaelian realm, Kali's chambers**_

"How is she, Attina?"

The mer woman shook her head, rocking the miserable baby, patting its back.

"She won't settle," she told Cora sullenly. "Ariel's attitude isn't helping the situation either. It's been ages since she's gone near her."

The empress reached out and stroked Kali's cheek.

"Poor little mite," she cooed gently. "It will pass, my sweeting. Your mother just needs time."

Kali sniffed then snuggled further into Attina's chest.

"Where is Ariel now?" Cora asked the princess.

"Last I heard she was in her chamber with her friends."

"Sebastian and Flounder."

Attina nodded.

"Unless Corin orders them to they never leave her side."

The empress nodded.

"Thank you."

_**A hallway**_

Later, Cora went looking for her brother.

'Corin?' she called out in her head. 'Where are you?'

"What is it?"

Startled, the empress jumped and spun around.

"Thank you for scaring me near to death," she growled at him.

The Cecaelian shrugged.

"Have our new citizens settled?"

"Yes."

"Good. Give it another week and we should be able to begin the testing."

"What if they do not want to be converted?"

"Then they're not. But we shall not lie to these people. They have a right to know who they really are."

Cora nodded then bit down on her lower lip.

"Cora?"

"Ariel's sisters and I … we're concerned about her. She hasn't visited Kali. She refuses to eat and is looking pale and drawn, what is wrong with her?"

"She is grieving," Corin replied calmly. "When she is ready she will let us in. Leave it alone, Cora."

"But I-"

"I said leave it alone."

_**Ariel and Corin's bed chambers**_

Ariel felt ill and bitter whilst staring at the clam mattress beneath her.

"Lo, wife."

She sighed.

"Lo," she replied sullenly.

"How goes it?"

She licked her lips.

"You really want to know?" she asked.

"I can handle it."

She sighed again.

"I keep seeing his face," she told her mate hoarsely after a bout of silence had passed between them. "I keep hearing that voice."

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"He really was not my father that day."

Corin lay down behind her, putting his arms around her neck and waist.

"He had no right to call you and Kali abominations," he murmured into her hair.

Ariel sucked in air through her nostrils.

"I think we are though," she muttered. "I should have stayed away. I should have been a good, obedient daughter. Better that then a monster everyone is afraid of."

"Would it help if I told you that you will never disappoint me?" he asked gently.

Ariel smirked weakly.

"Not right now."

"What if I told you that Flotsam and Jetsam are smitten with your sisters?"

Ariel tried to laugh but could only half smile.

He kissed her shoulder.

"I wish I could help you," he told her.

Ariel reached down, covering his hand with her own.

"You can't win all my battles," she said softly.

He said nothing.

"This will pass," the woman promised, not wanting to depress him more so. "But right now … everything really hurts."

Corin kissed her cheek, stroking her hair.

She rolled over, pressing her forehead against his, letting him kiss her knuckles.

He arched an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Certain."

He kissed her deeply, pulling her closer to him.

She moaned happily against his mouth, closing her eyes and trailing her fingers over his smooth back.

He slid into her, carefully, gently.

She gasped and panted, tightening around his sheath.

"Good girl," he breathed then slowly began to stroke her.

_**Sobe's chambers**_

It hadn't only been her father's scathing words that had hurt.

Her entire right and left side suckers were positively searing.

Sobe had been incredibly decent by admitting her so late in the day, so as a way to show her immense gratitude, Ariel had brought a bottle of spiced, sea nectar and a lobster tail for them to share whilst the examination took place.

"This might cheer you up," Sobe said lightly stroking the sucker with a gentle finger.

"Good news?" Ariel asked, sceptically. "That's amazing. I don't believe you."

"Underneath all that pus is an egg," Sobe informed brightly. "Congratulations."

Pregnant.

Carrying an egg.

The queen put a hand to her forehead.

The midwife frowned.

"Ariel?"

Concerned, Sobe floated over and put an arm around the other woman's shoulders.

"Do you want this?" she asked. "If you don't I can send for Corin so you can discuss an abortion plan between yourselves."

"That won't be necessary," Ariel muttered, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "I've never carried a baby I didn't want."

"Then what is it? If there is anything I can do please tell me what the matter is."

"I just think I need to have some time to myself, by myself," Ariel confessed ruefully.

"I can keep the at bay. But what do you want me to tell Corin and the emperor and empress? They need to know."

Ariel shrugged wearily.

"Tell them what ever you want; I just want space and privacy."

Sobe was doubtful.

"I see," she murmured.

"No, I mean I'll come to them when I decide. Not before. Right now the last thing I want is to be crowded. You know royal births have to be publicly announced."

"Don't fret!" the midwife said quickly. "I understand your needs. But I think you may be surprised at how supportive your mate is. You know you will not be pushed into anything. Especially in the condition you are in now."

OoO

"She's with child again? That's wonderful news!" Cora exclaimed. "Has she picked a sex yet? Is she carrying twins?"

Corin pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Ariel has not relayed this to me. It was all Sobe."

Sorja frowned.

"Why didn't she tell you herself?" Cora asked.

"She needs space."

The empress shook her head.

"No. She needs her father to come to his senses."

"Leave it," Corin growled at his sister.

"Corin!" she protested.

"Triton made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with Ariel or her daughter," the monarch reminded his sibling sternly. "If he wants to wait around and die then we must respect his choice. Ariel understands this and she will learn to live with it."

"And the fifteen hundred who stayed with the mer king, what happens to them, pray tell?" Cora demanded furiously, fingers sinking into her palms.

"They've made their choice. I said leave it, Cora. I expect you to do as you are told."

Giving the empress a parting look of warning, Corin beckoned to Sobe and they left the chamber together, leaving Sorja and his sister alone.

"You're not going to listen to him, are you?" Sorja asked wearily, watching her fume. "Cora, he will have your hide."

"Oh no, he won't," the empress replied tightly. "Not if my plan works."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to drag Triton back here by his beard, Sorja. That's what I'm going to do."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" the emperor cried. "Corin will have your guts for a wall decoration!"

"Not if I can bring Triton here," Cora replied confidently. "And I'm not going alone. Nona and my grand daughters Bashee and Jolina are coming with me. I told them we needed a way to bring Triton to this realm, they are more then happy to help."

"You seriously think you can persuade him to return with you?"

"We can only try. If we do not succeed we can return and life will go on as normal, Ariel and Corin need not know anything."

She gave her little brother a dark look.

"Because you will not tell them anything, will you, Sorja?"

The emperor glared at his sister.

"I'll try to keep my thoughts to myself," he told her wryly.

Cora's fine features softened.

"Good," she murmured. "Now keep a look out for us. I don't think we'll be long."

_**Triton's palace gateway**_

"Hello!" Nona called out. "Is anyone here? Hello?"

"This place is deathly quiet," Bashee murmured to Cora. "Could it be that he's ignoring us?"

"I don't know," Cora replied.

Something was wrong.

Though she did not give voice to the nagging feelings she had blossoming in the pit of her belly, Cora was beginning to believe something was dreadfully amiss.

"Hello!" Jolina called.

"Perhaps we ought to go to the presence chamber?" Nona asked warily.

"Let's," Cora muttered, leading the way.

_**Corin and Ariel's bedchambers**_

Corin was a little surprised to see his queen in their chambers. He had thought Ariel would stay away for a day or so, considering the mood she had been in of late.

He settled on the bed, holding his arms out for her, gladdened she moved into the embrace rather then rejecting it.

"You're with child," he said, stroking a finger down her spine, sending tingles through her skin.

Ariel smiled hesitantly, bowing her head into her hands.

He raised his hand, raking it through her curls.

"Boy or girl?" he asked.

She timidly met his gaze.

"I want a boy this time," she said.

_**Triton's presence chamber**_

As soon as Cora's eyes fell upon the mer king, she was aghast.

The monarch appeared a much lesser man then the fearsome sea king they had left behind. he seemed ill, tired. His face, drawn, sad. His skin, a disconcerting shade of grey.

"King Triton," she addressed softly. "It is I, Empress Cora. Corin's sister."

The noble head rose, looking at her with sickly eyes.

"You should not have come here," he wheezed. "You have damned yourselves …. Leave this place …. I beseech you."

Before Cora could argue there was a guttural growling din.

"What in the …" Bashee whispered.

The awful growling was closely followed by a nauseating tearing sound then a sick, wet thud.

"Sweet Vorlorna! What was that?" Nona gasped.

"Look!" Cora exclaimed.

Rolling past them were the severed heads of Jorgen and Attina's mate, Dormer.

"Goddess! We need to get out of here!" Jolina cried, grabbing her sister's arm.

All four Cecaelia's spun around to flee but were flung violently grabbed by unseen hands and tossed brutishly into a wall.

Cora was thrown the hardest, she took a few seconds to come to and gasped as her body twitched and trembled in the aftermath of her collision.

"Mother!" Nona shouted.

The empress heaved herself up.

"I'm alright," she muttered, wincing then wiping at a bleeding scratch on her cheek. "I'm-" She was abruptly yanked up by invisible hands then thrown around like a child's rag doll.

"Let her go!" cried Bashee.

Smack!

Cora groaned, her body slid heavily to the ground.

"M-mother," Nona whimpered.

"Nona, get yourself and the others out of here," the empress ordered weakly.

"I can't move, I'm being held!"

"So are we!" Jolina and Bashee shouted, struggling fiercely against the intense grip of whatever was holding them.

There was another growl, another tearing wet sound.

Triton grunted and lurched forward in his throne.

A giant black, red and purple tentacle burst out of his chest.

Bashee screamed.

More and more gore smeared tentacles burst out of the monarch, smashing their way through his head, throat, chest and belly.

There was a laugh.

Cavernous, gloating.

'_It's impossible,'_ Cora thought. _'I'm hearing things. I have to be hearing things,'_

Pushing through membrane, bone and gore. Fatter and even wrinklier then ever before, Ursula emerged, cackling gleefully.

She wore Triton's crown and in her hands she wielded the fabled Trident.

"Why Cora!" the witch exclaimed ecstatically, spreading herself out on Triton's throne. "I was hoping to see your lovely face sooner or later."

"You murdered Triton!" Nona cried.

Ursula threw back her head and chuckled amusedly.

"Oh I wish! No, no, no, he's not dead, priestess. He's right over there."

The Cecaelia elegantly waved her hand in the direction of a smashed up pillar.

Gradually, a large bubble materialised in front of it. Inside was a group of naked human men and women.

"Yoo hoo!" Ursula cooed sweetly.

Two of the bubbles occupants turned to face the Cecaelia's, their eyes frightened and beseeching.

"Triton," Cora whispered. "Genevieve … Goddess! What have you done to them?"

"Oh, just making sure I have something to bargain with, empress," Ursula replied gaily. "See, I'm hoping lil sweet cakes will give herself up to save their lives."

"The queen will never do that," Bashee spat hatefully. "She'll destroy you!"

Ursula sighed.

"My dear girl. You are _so_ very naïve. Ariel will do whatever I want her to do. If I want her to come to me so I can obliterate her soul, she'll do it."

"You can't obliterate souls! No one has that kind of power!" Cora shouted.

The witch smirked.

"Oh really?" she asked, arching a dark eyebrow.

"You're mad!" Jolina spat.

"We'll see," Ursula replied wearily and pointed a finger at Jolina's chest.

"Obliterate, please."

The chestnut haired Cecaelia fell away from her sister, mother and grandmother, face trapped in an expression of surprise.

"Hmmm …. Think it's about time for a manicure," the sea witch mumbled idly.

She looked up, addressing the stunned Cecaelia's.

"Anyone care to do my nails?" she asked curiously. "I think I chipped a few."

"Jo-Jolina?" Nona stuttered. "My little girl?"

Bashee gave a strangled wail of grief and tried to lunge for the witch's throat.

Ursula rolled her eyes and made an irritated sound.

"Do stop the whining," she growled cantankerously at the Cecaelia. "It's hurting my ears."

Paying no heed, Bashee screamed louder and louder.

The witch of the sea pointed her finger at the writhing girl.

"Obliterate!" she grumbled through clenched teeth.

Lifeless, Bashee dropped to the floor to land beside her sister.

OoO

Cora stared wide-eyed at the bodies before her.

She could not comprehend … Not this … Not this.

"M-mother," Nona stammered. "Wha-what …?"

Sliding off her new throne, Ursula slithered over till she was floating before both women, lavender face set in a cold, unfeeling countenance.

"Gather your wits, my dears," she instructed coolly. "Or you'll end up just like them."

Unable to control herself, Nona set loose the torrent of fury she had tried to keep contained.

"You murdering whore!" the wronged mother bellowed from the top of her lungs.

She bucked, she lashed out, she swiped. Anything to hurt the creature who had robbed her of her offspring.

Swiftly, Ursula ensnared the woman.

"I think I'm going to enjoy this," the new queen of the ocean breathed, her tentacles snaking up Nona's back. "Always wanted to have Cora in my mouth. Now I get the next best thing,"

She began licking Nona's cheek.

Disgusted and terrified, the woman shifted her face.

"Get away," she sobbed, pushing at the witch.

"Get off her!" Cora barked.

"Say the magic words," Ursula taunted, languidly pulling a hand through the priestess's glossy dark hair.

"Please stop!"

The sea queen stopped her harassment and smiled warmly at Cora.

"Thank you, empress," she simpered sweetly. "Wasn't too hard, was it?"

"You disgust me," Corin's sister snapped.

Still tightly bound by tentacles, Nona slumped against a wall; eyes squeezed shut, face white and soaked with sweat.

"Now," Ursula announced. "Before I decide what's to become of you, Cora. I need your daughter to bring the bait to me."

"You leave my daughter out of this you gold digging whore!" the empress roared.

"Ah, ah, ahhh, empress. There's no need for name calling."

Ursula promptly turned to Nona, her simpering turning into a predatory grin.

"You, sweet heart, are going to return to Corin's realm. You will give him and Ariel this message. Here's a rough draft. The queen has precisely three days to give herself up to me and three days only. If she does not … If she decides to ignore me. I will drown her father and the others inside that enclosure. I will obliterate your mother's soul and finally, I will send my army to the realm where they will torture and then slaughter every single man, woman and child who tries to defy me. So, what do you think? Does it need work? Hmmm?"

"You don't have an army," Cora spat venomously. "There's no one here!"

"I _don't_?" the witch gasped, aghast, dramatically placing a hand on her breast. "You _doubt_ me, empress? I feel positively wounded! I could weep!"

Cora barred her teeth and snarled.

Ursula sighed.

"Very well," she conceded. "I _suppose_ I must prove myself."

The sea queen looked over Nona's shoulder and waved her hand again.

Cora looked over her own shoulder and almost screamed.

It was a twisted, deformed, beige atrocity covered in blood and gore. It's claw like hands gripped her tightly under the elbow.

Nona veered to one side and threw up, narrowly missing Ursula's tentacles.

"Yes, unpleasant, aren't they?" the witch drawled wryly, giving her soldiers a jaded look. "Merjorca and I decided that ghastly works best."

"You've aligned yourself with Merjorca?" the empress asked disbelievingly.

"How do you think I learnt how to eliminate souls, sweeting?" Ursula asked snidely. "Really you are such a dim witted creature. Of course I sided with her!"

"You fool," Cora whispered. "You are an utter fool!"

"It certainly wasn't easy," Ursula continued as if she had not heard a thing her prisoner had said. "I sacrificed quite a lot. Morgana, my mother, my father."

'_Parents?'_ Cora thought, frowning. _'She and Morgana told us they were dead,'_

"But in the end …" Ursula threw back her head and laughed heartily. "Everything is just going according to plan. It's marvellous!"

"You're a monster!" Cora shouted angrily, twisting in her vile captors iron grip. "You are a naïve idiot! Corin will never love you! You're mad!"

Ursula laughed again.

"Take these two lovelies to a chamber. I'll visit them later."

"Yes, my lady."

_**The Cecaelian realm, Corin and Ariel's bed chambers**_

Corin kissed his mate gently on the stomach.

"Hmmm," Ariel moaned.

He laughed.

"Like that, did we?"

She grinned.

"We did," she replied.

He kissed her belly again, lingering this time.

Ariel shifted slightly, wanting more.

There was a loud scream.

"What was that?" the queen exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her skin.

"Conversion."

Ariel slipped back under her mate, eyes wide and wary.

"Who?" she asked, peering up at him.

"Andrina, her mate, and her hand maiden. The rest are still being tested."

There was another long wail of pain.

Ariel bit her lip.

"I think should sit with her," she said.

Corin was hesitant.

"It's not something you should watch," he told her cagily.

"She's my sister. I should be there for her."

_**Adella's and Nori's chambers**_

Ariel was shocked by the sight before her.

Poor Andrina was lying on her bed, twisting and writhing in pain, covered in the same black substance Cora painted on her months ago.

The stench of burning flesh attacked her nostrils.

Grimacing, Ariel covered her nose.

Corin put a hand on her shoulder.

"She's not alone," he promised. "Shellsa is here. Her mate is almost finished. You do not have to wait, little queen."

Ariel shook her head.

"I can stay," she muttered into her hand. "I was only caught off guard for a moment."

She dropped her hand and floated to Andrina's bed side.

"Shh," she soothed. "When it's better I'll get Sebastian to sing to you."

The mer woman groaned, her tail flicking from side to side.

"I'm b-burning," she stuttered. "Ar-Ariel, it h-hurts."

The queen nodded.

"I know it does. Let me see what I can do for you to make it easier."

Ariel rose and floated to her mate and Shellsa.

"Can we put her to sleep?" she asked. "Something to distract her surely?"

"The eels might be able to help," Corin said to Shellsa. He turned to Ariel. "They're wooing your other sisters. I'll go and fetch them."

"How much longer?" Ariel asked Shellsa after Corin had left.

The woman shrugged.

"An hour, maybe two. She's being very brave, Ariel."

Andrina whimpered and moaned.

"Where are Sorja and Cora?" the queen demanded. "Aren't they supposed to be supervising this?"

Shellsa shook her head.

"Cora is spending the day with Nona and her daughters. Sorja is helping Sebastian construct a choir for the next celebration of Vorlorna."

"You should have never been left alone with this task," Ariel stated darkly. "That was very inconsiderate of both of them."

"I am one of the best people for this _task_," Shellsa insisted almost defensively. "I was converted and I was wide awake. Therefore I think I am very suitable."

Realising she had struck a nerve, Ariel bowed her head.

"My apologies," she said, feeling contrite. "I only meant that this task is too arduous for one person. Mentally and physically."

Shellsa relaxed and tried to smile.

"You are right about that. I was fine for a while and then the screaming started …" she sighed, wiping her eyes with her finger tips. "No one likes it when they scream."

Ariel put a hand on her shoulder.

"Go to your chambers and have a rest," she instructed the woman. "I'll stay with her till Corin returns."

"Ariel, you're with child. I can't just up and leave!"

"You can't work yourself into the ground. As soon as Corin comes back with Flotsam and Jetsam I will find you then you and I can both relax for a little while." Ariel smiled impishly. "You can remind me about all the joys of child birth."

Andrina screamed again.

The queen frowned.

"Then again, maybe not," she muttered.

_**Triton's palace, the dungeons.**_

Both Cecaelia's looked up as the chamber door fell open with a loud creak.

"Ladies," Ursula greeted pleasantly. "Missed me?"

Cora glared at her. Nona said nothing.

Not concerned with the less then warm reception, Ursula sent her tentacles after the empress, using the lithe appendages to pull the repulsed and furious Cecaelia to her breast.

"No!" Nona screamed, lunging forth.

The lavender bitch had taken her children. She was not going to take her mother as well.

Ursula made a face and smacked the younger Cecaelia away, causing the woman to fall into the waiting grasp of the leader of her monstrous army.

"Vohka," she then cooed, petting Cora's head.

"My lady," the creature replied.

"I believe it is time to take the priestess to the palace gates."

"Yes Lady Ursula."

Ursula groaned and began to rub her nether regions against the empress's buttocks.

"You have no idea of how long I've been waiting to do this," she breathed whilst squeezing Cora's arms and breasts with her tentacles and hands.

"_Don't look,"_ Corin and Sorja's sister told her daughter mentally. _"Don't look at me. Save your mind, Nona."_

Nona shivered.

Obeying, she wrapped her arms around herself, bowing her head, closing her eyes.

"My lovely, scrumptious priestess. So sorry to cut this farewell short but I think it's about time for you to leave, don't you?" Ursula inquired.

Despite her mother's wishes, Nona raised her head. She looked fretfully from the approaching guard to her mother then to Ursula.

"I-" she began weakly.

Annoyed, the Cecaelia's luscious red lips peeled back.

"I don't like to be kept waiting," Ursula seethed. "I said that it was time for you to go. Now go!"

Nona began to back away.

"I love you," she told her mother. "Corin and Ariel will avenge us, I swear it!"

Cora bit her lip.

How badly she wanted to believe her.

_**End of part 15**_

_**Authors note**_

This was supposed to be the last chapter, however, whilst proof reading it I noticed that a vast majority of it lacked the flow I wanted, thusly I decided to make this a sixteen part series rather then fifteen. Also, the last remaining scenes of this story will be pretty dark and depressing. I am having quite a bit of trouble editing them. So please, be patient.

If you enjoyed this chapter, excellent. If not, that's ok.


	16. Part 16

**_She dreams part 16_**

**_By Leah_**

**_Summary_**

The final chapter.

**_Disclaimer_**

I do not own a thing. Written in Australian andUKEnglish. Rated M for strong adult themes such as consensual intercourse, violence, fem slash and rape.

Dedicated to my guardian angel and muse, Angelique. Where would I be without you?

Now, on with the story!

**_Triton's palace dungeons_**

Letting go of the woman's dark mane, Ursula threw the empress to the floor.

"I've always wanted to do that as well," she remarked then grinned at Cora. "Not so high and mighty now, are we?"

The empress groaned, clutching a hand to her right side.

She had broken a rib.

Looking about herself, Cora took note of her new surroundings.

A murky, dank, cell like chamber.

"Are you going to torture me?" she panted.

"Yes," Ursula replied unequivocally. "I think a little bit of torment is in store."

The witch swept over and carefully drew the empress to her full height.

"After all, my dear empress … you have to pay for killing my child!"  
Teeth bared, she ruthlessly slammed a tentacle into the woman's opening.

Doubling over, Cora screamed in pain.

"Oh yes, you scream you little fool," Ursula snarled. "You took everything from me. My child, my youth! Now it's my turn. I've destroyed your granddaughters and soon you'll see your precious friend wriggle and writhe right before your very eyes!"

Cora coughed and swayed. Heaving herself up right, she laughed at the witch.

"You stupid hag!" she spat scornfully. "Corin told me to make sure you never conceived his child. I did what was necessary and I'll tell you what, I'd do it again and again and again because I love my brother!"

Boiling with anger, Ursula drove more and more tentacles into the empress. She shook her, she stretched her, she slammed into her so hard and so many times Cora flopped up and down like a boned fish.

OoO

Her fury slaked, Ursula mercilessly ripped her tentacles out of the Cecaelia then hurled the empress up again, hugging the woman tightly to her heaving breasts.

Cora groaned.

"I think it's time for something different," the sea queen hissed. "Merjorca thought me this little bit of magic."

Sliding her tongue out of her mouth, she began to lather Cora's face.

The woman screeched in pain.

Every stroke from the witches tongue burnt bloodied, searing marks into her face.

Pushing Cora back to the dirty, smelly floor, Ursula straddled her and began to kiss, bite and lick her broken body.

"I'm going to burn you alive," she seethed against Cora's neck. "Let's see if you can find a witty remark after this!"

Flinging her head back, Cora screamed and screamed and screamed.

**_The Cecaelian realm, the presence chamber_**

"We are happy to announce that our queen is with child!" Sorja called out to the Cecaelians, the mer people and to the other creatures.

Ariel, floating beside Corin, beamed radiantly.

Flounder did a flip and a high five with Aquata's tail.

"What are you having?" Attina asked, holding hands with Flotsam, ignoring her son's disapproving look.

"Yes, tell us already!" Alana insisted, arm linked with Jetsam's. "You've kept us in the dark for ages!"

"A boy," Ariel replied warmly. "We're going to call him Baarj."

"Oh this is so exciting!" Aquata squealed and hugged her sister. "I get another nephew!"

Ariel returned the embrace then smiled up at Corin only to find that he seemed preoccupied.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Cora and her daughter should be here," he answered. "Sorja's acting a little … off. I don't like this."

Ariel glanced at the emperor who, indeed, seemed to be a little anxious in his appearance.

"I'm going to speak with Sorja," Corin told her before she could voice her thoughts on the matter. "Go and celebrate with your sisters. I won't be long."

Reluctantly, the queen pursed her lips and nodded.

"Fine," she murmured.

OoO

"Where is Cora?" Corin asked his brother, annoyed. "And what's more, where the devil is her daughter. We need them both here!"

Sorja bit his lip.

"You had better say something, little brother," the monarch warned. "Where are our sister and the high priestess?"

"She told me they wouldn't be gone for too long," Sorja said, eyes darting to and from the chamber entrance. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"If it's nothing why are you sweating and trembling?"

"I-"

"Someone's entered the realm!"

Corin looked away from his brother to Orion who was speeding toward the thrones.

"Who is it?" Ariel demanded. "Who has entered?"

"Nona. She's alone. A guard is bringing her here right now."

"This is ridiculous! Why should she have a guard on her? Nona isn't dangerous?" Ariel exclaimed angrily.

"Ariel, enough," Corin snapped.

"But-"

"She's weak," Orion said to her. "She can hardly move."

Comprehending, Ariel nodded.

"The chamber is too crowded," Corin told his brother in law. "We need privacy,"

Orion nodded.

"I'll deal with it."

Corin he beckoned the queen to him.

"Have your sisters take Kali to her chambers," he told her briskly.

"I'm on it," the queen replied hesitantly.

"What do you want me to do?" Sorja asked Corin.

"You'll be dealt with later," his brother replied darkly. "Just stay where we can see you, Sorja."

Shellsa leapt over to her mate, taking his hand.

"I'll stay with you," she said.

Sorja bowed his head.

"She didn't give me a choice," he murmured.

Shellsa entwined her fingers with his own.

"I believe you," she whispered.

OoO

"Alright everyone, we need the chamber emptied. There's a situation we need to attend to," Orion called out, floating over the hordes of guests.

"Take Kali to her chambers," Ariel muttered, passing the child to her sisters. "Then check on Andrina for me."

"Ariel, what's happening?" Adella asked warily.

"I can't tell you anything yet," the queen whispered. "You have to go now. Quickly. Flotsam, Jetsam, stay here."

"Jumpin Jelly fish!" Sebastian complained ruefully whilst riding on top of Flounder. "Dis is stressing me out, mon!"

"You and me both," Flounder mumbled.

OoO

Nona was unable to float by the time she was brought into the chamber.

Her face was dirty and streaked with sweat, blood and tears. Her eyes were dull and listless.

In her hands, clutched so tightly it was as if her life depended on it, was a red and yellow orb.

"Bring her here," Corin told the guard carrying the priestess.

When they had laid the woman on his lap, the Cecaelian ruler reached out to hold her face.

"You're safe," he said. "You're with us now. Open your eyes, niece."

The woman groaned. Her eyelids fluttered.

"You can do it. Open them. Open them up."

Nona blinked then turned her head, focusing on her uncle.

"That's it," Corin praised. "Sweeting, who did this to you?"

"Ursula," she murmured, voice feeble and vacant.

Ariel felt a deep, sick feeling in her belly.

How could this be?

"She gave me a message," the priestess went on drowsily. "After killing my daughters …. She took us into a cell while she prepared it …."

"Us?" Shellsa asked.

"Mother."

"Where is your mother? Nona, tell us what Ursula has done."

Nona began to shudder violently, her lips trembling.

"She-she obliterated their s-so-souls," she stammered. "My girls …. They-Goddess! They don't have souls anymore. My baby girls are really dead!"

"Impossible," Sorja breathed.

Rocking her back and forth, Corin murmured in Nona's ears, stroking her hair whilst the tormented woman wailed and sobbed.

"You two," Ariel said, nodding to Flotsam and Jetsam. "Put her to sleep. Now."

OoO

"How can she be back?"

"Soul destruction? It's impossible."

"I just can't believe it."  
"Well something's happening!" Ariel snapped.

She turned to Corin. Her mate was still holding his niece, face hidden by his hair.

Nona, thank the Goddess, was sleeping at last.

Shellsa picked up the orb, frowning at it.

"This must be the message Nona told us about," she said to Orion. "How do we get it to open?"

"Break it?" the realm's head of guard guessed. "It's worth a try."

"Just get it open," Ariel growled. "Whatever it takes. I that thing open."

OoO

Corin was concentrating on his niece, brow furrowed, lips compressed.

"What is it?" his mate asked, sitting beside him.

"Her mind," he replied. "It's collapsed. Normally our minds knit themselves back together within a few hours but hers … it's shattered into pieces."

"You mean she's gone mad?" Ariel enquired, frowning.

He shook his head.

"She's broken. That's all I can say. The more I try to get her to rebuild the more she falls apart."

"Can you see anything? Anything at all?"

"Recurrent, pithy flashes of images."

"Can you recognise anyone?"

He nodded.

"Bashee, Jolina. They're lying on the ground. Then I see Triton sitting on his throne. But her mind doesn't let me linger on the images for long and I haven't seen Ursula or Cora."

A deep sense of foreboding swept over the queen.

"I think you should stop trying for now," she told her mate sagely. "Send her to her chambers. The other priestesses will look after her."

"Do you think this is a spell?"

The woman hesitated.

"All I can say is that something evil is happening," she answered, eyes flitting here and there. "I think we may be in a very dire situation."

"Corin! Ariel!"

"Looks like they've opened it," Corin muttered under his breath.

Ariel beckoned for the guards.

"She's not to wake up, understand?" she told them firmly. "If she does, tell her priestesses to send for Flotsam and Jetsam. They'll put her back to sleep."

The Cecaelians nodded promptly and took the woman from Corin who immediately grabbed Ariel's hand and sailed with her to where the others were waiting for them.

"What in the world …" Ariel whispered.

The orb was no longer red but golden. It glowed brilliantly for a moment then hissed softly, emitting an image of Ursula seated grandly upon Triton's throne, wearing his crown and lovingly stroking the forked head of his trident.

"Hello my dears!" the witch cooed saccharinely. "Missed me as much as I've missed you? As you can see, I'm baaaack! I'm back and I want what belongs to me. That's right, darlings. I want sweet cakes to meet with me so we can discuss her … removal. Flotsam and Jetsam, there is to be a reckoning afterwards, have no doubt about that.

Now, starting from tomorrow, the queen has precisely until the end of three days to come to me and give herself up. If she does not come to me, I will drown daddy dearest and the other people inside this enclosure."

The image drifted from the witch to a large bubble filled with naked men and women.

"Genevieve's in there," Shellsa murmured uneasily.

"Father …." Ariel croaked.

"Forgot to mention, I do have little Genevieve," Ursula informed casually. "I recall how fond you were of her, Corin dearest.

Now, after the drowning of these miscreants, I will then be all too happy to obliterate the Empress Cora's soul and send my new army to the Cecaelian realm where they will torture and annihilate every single man, woman and child who tries to defy me. Corin will not be included in the onslaught whether he defies me or not since he will be mine. Well, that's only after the … mistake he has chosen for a mate has been dealt with."

Corin snarled and wrapt an arm around Ariel's waist.

"I'll leave you to mull over this, shall I?" Ursula sing-songed brightly.

"Ta, ta darlings! Remember, angelfish, the end of three days! Don't tarry, wouldn't want to make a mess of things, would you? Oh, and Merjorca sends her regards! You've got to love her, she really is a riot!"

A lingering, spine chilling cackle filled the chamber. When the din faded, Corin grabbed the orb and hurled it aggressively against a wall. The offending object shattered into thousands of tiny fragments upon impact.

Orion slumped against the throne, face ashen, shocked.

Ariel primly pursed her lips.

"Well," she muttered under her breath. "That's that."

Corin glared at her, she merely arched an eyebrow at him.

"We can't let her do this," Shellsa whispered. "Not to us."

"This is all my fault," Sorja whispered forlornly.

"Sorja it's not entirely your fault!" Shellsa argued hotly. "From the looks of it Ursula has been planning this for months. Perhaps even years."

"Months I'd say," Ariel said grimly. "She's obviously had help."

"How do we know this isn't a game?" Corin whispered.

Puzzled, the others turned to face him.

"A game?" Sorja echoed, bamboozled. "I don't understand."

"Perhaps she doesn't have an army. It could be a bluff."

"Are you saying that if we took our entire guard we could destroy her?" Sorja asked.

Ariel couldn't stand this. This was preposterous! They were clutching at straws.

"Corin, you saw what Nona looked like. She's been tortured within an inch of her life!" she cried. "And Goddess only knows what's happening to Cora! You saw inside Nona's head! This is not a simple game. Ursula is after us! She wants to kill me! Our elite guard will do nothing but entertain her!"

"She cannot have you," Corin replied tightly. "I've lost you before I will not do so again."

Frustrated, Ariel sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"You are being impossible," she snarled and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Corin demanded, grabbing her arm.

His wife forcefully removed it from his grasp.

"To the topaz statue," she replied darkly. "I want to be alone. I still have three days, remember?"

**_Cora's cell_**

Lying in a bleeding heap, Cora trembled and weakly tried to curl into a ball.

_'Help me,'_ she thought. _'Someone please help me.'_

She was cold and hungry.

A tear slid out her eye, mingling with the oozing scratches on her cheek.

_'Orion …'_

The cell door opened.

Ursula's scented flooded through her nostrils.

Cora bit her lip and closed her eyes.

**_The topaz shrine_**

Unfastening her betrothal necklace and taking off her wedding and betrothal rings, Ariel placed them before the alter and kissed the very tips of the Goddess's cold, hard tentacles.

"She is taking from me again," she whispered. "I don't know what to do."

Nothing.

"Please! You have to help me! You need to help us! She is going to destroy us and by doing that she will destroy you. Vorlorna. You need to show us a way to fight back. You have to show us a way to fight back."

_'And Kali …. Ursula will do something horrible to her, I know she will!'_

OoO

Ariel had an idea.

It was reckless and she would have to act quickly.

But it just might work.

**_The presence chamber_**

"I've just returned from Nona's chambers," Shellsa told the others briskly. "You're not going to like this. Ursula's done a deal with a devil far worse then herself."

"So, she _has_ aligned herself with Merjorca," Corin murmured, stroking his chin.

"That seems to be the case," Sorja replied wearily. "The only way she could have gotten her old body back is by being adopted. This is Merjorca's doing. We all know that Vorlorna would never allow something like this to happen."

"Vorlorna allowed the culling of our people centuries ago. Who's to say she is not putting us through another onslaught?" Corin snapped.

"Because she would not risk Poseidon's anger. He would not stand for this," Shellsa pointed out.

"I'm surprised he hasn't lifted a finger against Ursula yet," Sorja remarked wryly. "That would certainly solve most of our problems."

"All deities are unpredictable, Sorja," Corin reminded sourly then looked to Orion who was listening but silent.

"How long till we can prepare the army?" he asked.

Orion wearily looked at the monarch.

"Not too much time. They're still fresh from our last excursion."

Corin floated over, grasping the Cecaelians shoulders.

"You can do this," he told him. "Fight for her. Do exactly what she would do it if the situation had been reversed."

"I'll help," Shellsa added. "I can make orbs. We'll have to send the mothers and their children to land. They can help the mer people adjust."

"What about the mer people we've just converted?" Sorja asked uneasily. "They can barely comprehend what day it is let alone understand what is happening right now."

"We haven't got a choice. They'll have to be moved as well, Sorja," Corin said tersely. "They're no use to anyone in the state their minds are in but we cannot leave them here on their own."

"We'll need the eel people to travel with them then," Shellsa murmured. "If they can contain them, the better chance of survival they have."

**_Sobe's chambers_**

"Sobe!"

The woman raised her head.

"Ariel!" she exclaimed. "What is it? Is it the egg?"

"No, that's fine. Sobe, I need you to get Kali out of here tonight. You and your family are to head to the surface."

Sobe stared at the woman as though she had suddenly grown four heads.

"What are you on about?" she demanded. "I can't go to the surface!"

"You have to go. Ursula is after me. I take it you know by now that she's alive?"

"Well yes … People have been talking. But Ariel … Corin, the others."

"Still in the presence chamber. From the look of it, they'll be in there for ages. They won't see that you're missing until it's too late. There will be an evacuation, but the earlier you go, the better. Trust me, it will be better all round for you to leave in the next hour."

"Goddess," Sobe muttered, raking a hand through her hair.

"I've packed for you," Ariel continued hastily, handing the woman a hefty beige sack. "There's gold, jewels, clothes and food. It should be enough to set you up as shipwrecked nobles fromEngland. Your mate's getting the children ready. He'll meet you at the west entrance after he's grabbed Kali. Once you're on land you'll have to find somewhere to live. In three days time I want you to go to a rock pool beneath Eric's palace. If I come to you wearing a green dress that will mean Ursula has been defeated. If I don't …"

Ariel stopped.

"I understand," Sobe whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Does Corin know of this, Ariel? Did you conceive this idea together?"

The queen shook her head.

"He can't. He believes we can stop this from happening. I can feel the hope in his mind."

"Oh Ariel …"

The woman smiled weakly.

"No. It's fine. It really is. I've accepted this. There's no way out for me."

Sobe drew the woman into a comforting hug.

Returning it, Ariel closed her eyes.

_'There's no way out for me,'_

**_Outside Sobe's chambers._**

"I will remind Kali of you every day," the midwife promised the queen whilst they waited for her mate and the children to arrive. "She will never forget you."

Heart full of woe and gratitude, Ariel brushed a tear from her cheek then kissed it.

"Goodbye, Sobe," she said wanly.

"You're not going to say goodbye to Kali?"

Ariel shook her head.

"That would be my undoing. I'm doing this for her. Remind her of that."

**_The topaz shrine_**

Resuming her previous position before the deity's statue, Ariel stared up at the glorious effigy.

"I don't want to die again," she confessed weakly. "Is me wanting to live so wrong? Is me wanting to stop sacrificing and be happy so hard to believe?"

Ariel felt her lips trembling.

"Please help me," she whimpered, heart thundering in her breast. "I'm afraid. You cannot imagine how afraid I am."

**_The presence chamber_**

"So that means with the trident and whatever powers Merjorca has given her …." Shellsa paled, suddenly very frightened. "Goddess … Corin, we're all sitting ducks."

**_Outside the Cecaelian realm's barricade._**

Checking to make certain no one was behind her, Ariel sprung forth.

Not far from her destination, the woman heard a noise.

She cursed.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," the woman muttered acidly.

Corin was the first to emerge.

Ariel was so angry she could have slapped him.

"Did you really think you could sneak off so easily?" her mate asked, giving her an equally angered glare. "I thought you'd be smarter then that."

"I managed to get Kali out with anyone knowing," she replied snidely.

"Bravo," Corin growled.

"Ariel, we can't let you face her on your own. Not while there's a chance we can destroy her," Sorja said.

Shellsa nodded.

"He's right. You need us by your side."

"I do not want you by my side!" the queen spat furiously. "Goddess, are you all blind? Can't you see that I'm doing this for you? Shellsa, you said it yourself, we are all sitting ducks!"

Shellsa shook her head.

"No one should have to die alone."

Corin reached for her.

"Don't!" the queen spat, rearing backwards. "Can't you see this is hurting everyone? I have to go!"

"I was not with you the first time you faced death," her mate said earnestly. "If that is to be the case, I will be with you this time."

Ariel flinched at his words, doubt blended with the anger and fear in her eyes and on her face.

Carefully, Corin moved closer. When she did not shrink away, he took her arms in his hands and squeezed them.

"And we will see each other again," he promised.

"Come back with us," Sorja beseeched. "We have the army ready to leave. If there is a threat we will all be there to face it."

Ariel started to recoil but Corin, acting quickly, slipped his arms around her waist, holding her still.

"I want one night in your arms," he whispered. "Can you not give me that at least, little queen?"

Defences torn down, Ariel began to cry. Defeated, she put her arms around her beloved's neck.

"I can, Corin," she sobbed, pressing her forehead to his.

"Come on," Shellsa said. "I can feel the bitch's eyes on us."

"You're not the only one," Sorja muttered darkly.

**_Corin and Ariel's bed chambers_**

In the centre of the chamber, Corin held his darling in a quiet, gentle encirclement.

All he could hear was her breathing and the tranquil thudding of her heart.

"You removed your jewels," he said.

"I offered them to Vorlorna," Ariel replied.

He trialled his fingers along her bare back.

"And I did not want Ursula to touch them."

He smiled.

"I won't let her set a finger on them."

He pulled away, looking down at her.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered.

She smiled up at him, blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"I am so fortunate to have found you," she said. "I could have spent years and years with Kunama and Circa. But I didn't. I found you and I let you in. I let you love me."

She bit her lip, struggling to hold back a sob.

"P-promise me you'll keep on loving me, Corin," she stuttered tearfully. "I need to know you'll never stop because I'm so scared."

The Cecaelian swiftly pulled her to him, ardently kissing her hair, neck and finally her mouth.

"I will love you till the world ends, little queen," he vowed huskily against her cheek. "She can never take me away from you."

He crushed his lips to her own, tasting the salt from her tears.

Ariel moaned deeply, reaching up to run her fingers through his black tresses, shivering deliciously whilst his hands roamed over her back.

Picking her up, Corin carried Ariel to the clam bed.

Lowering the woman down, he settled on top of her, wrapping his limbs and arms around her, kissing her intensely, lovingly.

Forgetting all about the fate that awaited them, the lovers melded into each other.

Their hearts sung, their souls flew, and for the last few remaining hours of the day, they felt joy.

OoO

It was time.

Resolute, Ariel floated before the mirror, staring at herself. Everything was in place. Her face had been painted. Her rebellious tresses had been tamed into a tasteful bun.

Her diadem, the only jewellery she had wished to wear, rested on her head as a sparkling symbol of her majesty.

"I am ready," she whispered.

"I want you to wear these."

She turned to look at her beloved.

Corin was holding her rings and necklace in his large hands.

"Why?" she asked softly. "They belong to Vorlorna now."

"I think Vorlorna will understand. I want Ursula to know that you are mine," he said.

Corin moved behind her, putting on the necklace.

Ariel reached up, touching the cold silver and the gems with her finger tips.

The metal felt reassuring against her skin.

Corin turned her to face him.

Taking her small hand, he placed the rings, slowly, tenderly on each finger.

"Now," he said. "You are ready."

**_The war room_**

"Is everything prepared?" Corin asked Orion.

The head of the guard nodded and sheathed a short sword.

The monarch clapped him on the back.

"Good."

The queen was about to go to the centre with her mate then changed her mind. She hurried back to Orion, watching whilst he attached weapon after weapon to himself.

"Orion," she addressed timidly.

The older Cecaelian turned to her, eyes red rimmed, face pale and gaunt.

Ariel put a hand on his arm.

"We will get her back," she promised. "One way or another. You will see Cora again."

The man nodded.

"I believe you," he said grimly.

The queen arched an eyebrow.

"But?" she asked curiously.

"A similar thing happened to Nina. Our daughter never came back from her ordeal. Nona now lies in a chamber unable to move or to think ... What … What happens if Cora is the same? I've already lost two grand children and two daughters. How will it be if I have to lose her as well?"

OoO

Ariel turned to her mate.

"A united front," she said taking his hand.

He squeezed it, entwining his fingers with hers.

"A united front," he echoed.

**_Nearing Triton's palace_**

A turtle raised its green-grey head, curiously peering up at the extraordinary spectacle before him.

For the second time in the past few weeks Cecaelians, thousands and thousands of them, were crossing his path, their faces so solemn, so grave, one would have thought this was a funeral march. Then, not far behind them, were mer people. Thousands upon thousands of mer people.

Intrigue getting the better of him, the turtle decided to follow just to see what was going on.

**_Triton's presence chamber_**

Ursula had not been joking. There had been nothing remotely idle about her threats. Huddled together, miserable, afraid, were twenty-six of the fifteen hundred mer men and women, in addition Genevieve and Triton, all reduced to naked human beings.

"Ahhh …. So you've made it," the witch drawled. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to take me seriously."

"Before anything can happen we require that all hostages and our empress be sent to us," Corin stated.

"I don't think you are in a position to make demands," the sea queen remarked coldly, grey eyes narrowing into thin slits. "I'll decide when to hand them over, not you. And I must say … I quite like my new pet empress. I'm very reluctant to let her go."

"Pet?" Sorja spat.

"I'll fetch her for you," Ursula offered. "Come, precious," she called. "Your rescuers are here for you."

Someone gasped sharply then tumbled out from behind the witch's tentacles.

Breathing heavily, the captive raised their head.

It was Cora.

Her face was covered in bloody marks, her eyes were empty. Her tentacles had been cruelly stretched, leaving her saviours to guess they were attached to something she could not free herself from.

Ursula laughed indolently.

"Listen to this," she told her visitors enthusiastically. "It's divine."

Lethargically, she slipped a tentacle around Cora's waist.

The woman abruptly lurched forward, crying out in pain.

Ursula slowly withdrew the limb, eyes closed, absorbing the empresses agony.

Shaking, Cora wrapped her arms around herself and lay on her side, trying to curl into a ball, quietly sobbing into her chest.

Orion could not believe what he was seeing.

"What have you done to her?" he rasped.

"Oh, just a bit of foreplay," Ursula explained dismissively. "Few rounds with electric eels. She's a bit of a whinger really. If I remember correctly … oh yes, it sounded like this. Stop it! You're hurting me! Please stop! Oh, bla dee bla dee bla!"

Enraged, Corin snarled, tentacles bristling like hair on a feral cat's back.

"Release the hostages now!" he barked.

Beside him, Sorja, Shellsa and Orion bared their teeth.

Rolling her eyes, Ariel tightened her grip on her mate's hand.

"That won't help anyone, you fools," she hissed at them. "You're only getting everyone killed."

Looking up at the witch, Ariel calmly released Corin and approached the throne.

"Here I am," she said. "Me here, it's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

Ursula stroked the tip of the trident with her manicured nails.

"Hmmm," she pondered out loud. "True. And my former poopsies, but they can wait. I'm going to enjoy this."

From the corner of her eye, Ariel could see monsters. Hordes of them. Disfigured, hunched over, smelling of gore and blood.

She wanted to be sick.

"Do you like my army, angelfish?" Ursula purred, watching the queen.

"Not particularly," Ariel replied candidly. "They're quite revolting."

"Well, their numbers out weigh their looks. You have twenty thousand with you, yes?"

"We do."

"I have sixty. Thanks to Merjorca and my mother and father, I have warriors that could crush your people like eggs."

Ursula's army came into full view, spilling clumsily into the chamber from all sides.

Sorja bared his teeth at them, slipping a protective arm around Shellsa.

"Steady," Corin called to his people from over his shoulder. "Steady."

"Your parents. Who were they?" Ariel asked.

"Hardly time for a tete a tete, sweet cakes. You're here to die, remember?"

"I'm aware of this. But I am curious. Who were your parents, Ursula?"

The Cecaelian sea queen pondered this question, her lush mouth forming a thoughtful pout.

"Mmmm … I guess I could divulge," she surmised most apathetically. "My parents, little princess, were your dearest friends."

Ariel felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.

"Yessss …." The sea queen confirmed silkily. "Circa and Kunama. You left their bed for Corin's, remember? They weren't good enough for you."

"We parted on good terms," Ariel insisted. "I never sensed anything vindictive from my leave taking."

"Oh of course not!" the witch scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You were too wrapped up in yourself to see anyone else's pain but your own, weren't you?"

Ariel didn't answer.

"I think I've heard enough of your pitiable diminutive excuses," Ursula continued in a harsh tone. "You have been forgiven your entire life while I had to struggle for everything. Mark my words, that's _certainly_ about to change."

She tapped her fingers on the thrones arm rests, gazing wistfully at the queen's chest.

"I think I'll have you stuffed and mounted after your demise, my sweet," she said. "Give Corin something to look at when he can't get it up for me."

"You would have more power if you kept me alive, Ursula," Ariel said abruptly.

The woman frowned.

"Beg yours?"

"You're doing this to attain Corin for yourself. Because you think he is the most powerful being here, yes?"

"No one is more powerful then Corin," the witch replied, annoyed, "Everyone here knows that."

"You're plucking the wrong plum," Ariel divulged confidently. "I'm more powerful then Corin. More powerful by miles."

There was a collective gasp.

The Cecaelia edged closer to the sea witch.

"You didn't know did you?" she asked. "I'm a pure favourite child of the goddess. Corin's adopted. His entire family was adopted. He's no more powerful then you are because he is exactly like you."

Ursula barred her teeth slightly.

"No," she growled.

"He's been lying to us both," Ariel went on, voice glowing, conceited. "Have you seen the well of souls, Ursula?"

The witch said nothing.

"I have. His doesn't shine as brightly as he'd have you believe. When I confronted him about his falsehood, Corin and his family begged and begged me not to tell anyone. I felt so sorry for the fools I kept the fact to myself.."

Ariel turned to face Corin, smiling cruelly.

"Now I've decided not to … And it is such a pleasure to humiliate them all at last," she breathed.

OoO

Meanwhile, the Cecaelians and the mer people were not liking how this was playing out.

"She's a traitor," someone spat.

"Of course this is the route she would take!" another sneered.

"She's gone off her rocker," Sorja murmured, anxious. "Corin, we need to do something."

"Hold the line," Corin whispered. "We don't know what she's doing yet."

"I don't like this," Shellsa muttered. "I don't like this one little bit."

OoO

"Enough!" Ursula thundered, leaning forward in her throne. "You're lying to save your own hide! To save your-" the queen paused, seemingly flummoxed. "Where is the child?" she demanded. "You did not bring her with you?"

Ariel smirked.

"You won't know if you kill me," she taunted proudly.

Sitting back, the younger Cecaelia couldn't help but smile at the older woman.

She was good. Very, very good.

"What are you after, sweet cakes?" Ursula asked. "Make it worth my while."

"A combination. Revenge," the queen replied simply. "Corin and his family lied to us both. I've taken everything I want and need from him."

"Remind me what they were."

"Gladly. I have a child, Ursula, and I have power. Also, I can easily get Merjorca into the haven. The old girl is having a bit of trouble, isn't she?"

Behind Ariel, there was a growl of annoyance rippling through the Cecaelians.

Both queens chose to ignore it.

Ursula stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"You say … combination. Are you implying that I forget all about Corin, sweet pea?"

Ariel stroked her breast, pinching it in order to expose a nipple.

"Why not? I'm power it's self."

She rubbed the wrinkled flesh between her fingers, turning flesh into rock.

"Waiting to be conquered. Controlled. Explored."

Mesmerised by this carefree, erotic behaviour, Ursula licked her lips.

"You've wanted me since the first moment you saw me, haven't you?" Ariel pressed daringly. "I'm ready now."

Corin stared at the display, his face devastated.

_'Goddess, what have we done?'_ he thought.

The queen's red mouth curled into a tigerish "Come hither" smile, she gracefully moved her tentacles, allowing the other queen a fleeting glimpse of her now damp opening.

"Take what you want," she offered lightly.

Everyone watching held their breath.

OoO

Undone, Ursula bounded from the throne, dropped the trident and rushed forth to trap the other queen.

Laughing breathlessly, Ariel reared backwards then entangled her tentacles with the witches.

The pair twirled around the chamber, their limbs stroking each other feverishly. They growled, snapped and sneered. Their white teeth flashing in the golden glow of the room.

Finally, Ursula had had enough of the game the elder queen had orchestrated. using her tentacles, she yanked Ariel toward her. Bending the older woman backwards, the younger bit into her neck and breasts.

Ariel cried out in pain then burst out laughing. Pushing Ursula down, she curled her tentacles around her head and neck.

"Taste me!" she breathed, eyes sparkling vivaciously. "I want your tongue inside me."

All too happy to be of service, Ursula readily obliged. Aggressively, she plunged her tongue into the woman, Grunting and groaning like a pig in mud.

Soon the licking became too arduous, she wanted more.

She had to have more.

Savagely, the sea witch bit cruelly into the other Cecaelia's right tentacle.

Her body rigid, Ariel screamed, swaying back and forth.

OoO

"Come on, they're distracted!" Orion hissed.

"No, wait!" Corin snapped. "We have to consider the others and Ariel."

"Are you bereft of your senses? Do you really believe she's doing this for our benefit?" Shellsa spat. "She's betraying all of us. Let's grab Cora and the bubble and go while we still can!"

"No, we have to give Ariel this chance!" Sorja argued. "We have to trust her!"

"What about Cora?" Shellsa snapped. "She can't stay like that for much longer, we have got to free her before they turn on us!"

"Ariel will not turn on us!" Corin seethed.

"Shellsa, shut it!" Sorja hissed.

One of Ursula's creatures wobbled toward them, leering foully in Shellsa's direction.

Disgusted, the Cecaelia reared up and threw it into a pillar with her tentacles.

"That's for staring," she seethed.

"To arms!" Orion yelled.

"Bloody Hell," Corin growled exasperatedly.

OoO

"Go on …" Ariel managed to gasp, completely unaware of the chaos developing around them, feverishly tangling her fingers in Ursula's silver and white tresses. "Don't you dare stop."

With a ravenous grunt, the younger queen pulled away thusly surprising her lover.

Using arms and tentacles, Ursula hurled Ariel to the ground, chuckling as the woman smacked the back of her head against the stone floor.

Moaning deeply with malicious pleasure, the witch slithered to where Ariel had fallen.

"So helpless …" she purred looming over the queen. "Just the way I like it."

She lay down on top of her prey, smothering her with kisses that were deep, lazy, wet.

Ariel whined sweetly against the witches lips and tongue, raising her tentacles to rub along Ursula's broad and powerful back.

"I want to be on top," she mumbled into the sea queen's ear. "Roll me over, lover."

Pleasurably, Ursula did just that.

Briefly looking over her shoulder, Ariel took note of what was happening.

She closed her eyes.

"Inside me," she whispered enticingly. "I want all of them inside me."

Ursula groaned.

"Please."

Again, the sea queen assented to her wishes. One by one, she pushed her tentacles into her lover's quivering opening, barely taking notice of the little whimpers of pain the older queen uttered whilst her lower body was brutally stretched.

Ariel opened her eyes.

With some difficultly, she slid two tentacles around the witches waist, making them knead her large breasts and pat the very centre of her chest.

"Ursula," she whispered.

"Yes, angelfish."

The Cecaelian queen leaned backwards, locking her eyes with Ursula's, her face soft, gentle.

"You pitiful, insignificant fool."

Using every ounce of strength she had, Ariel gritted her teeth and plunged her tentacles into the witch's chest.

Ursula reared up, bellowing in pain.

Splattered with Ursula's blood, Ariel gasped and pushed her tentacles in further and further till she had what she wanted.

What she needed.

Shaking, the Cecaelian queen wrapped her appendages around the pounding heart.

Looking straight at Ursula, she grinned.

"Poor unfortunate soul!" she hissed at the dismayed woman then yanked.

Ursula gave a wail of pain then groaned, falling with a crash beside Ariel.

Heart in her grasp, Ariel fell onto her back, gasping and twitching.

"Someone help her!" Corin yelled, stabbing a sword into a creature. "She's killed the witch!"

Ariel felt a pair of strong arms grasp her shoulders, she looked past them to see Sorja and Shellsa heaving her upward.

"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I had to-"

"It's alright," she heard Shellsa whisper. "We've got you. Sorja, get the bitch out of her, we have to take Ariel back to the realm now!"

"I had to!" Ariel babbled. "I had to do it to-"

Her voice faltered.

she saw the spirit of Ursula floating beside her corpse. There was another Cecaelia with her. One who was of substance rather then non corporal.

She was black as pitch with ruby eyes and tentacles.

Merjorca.

"No!" Ariel screamed.

Pulling the rest of the fallen sea queen out of her, ignoring Sorja and Shellsa's frantic cries, she leapt toward the deity and her fallen champion, heart still clutched tightly in her limbs.

"Enough!"

Everything became instantly, deathly still.

Calm, beautiful, Vorlorna slipped into view from the shadows. With composed grace, she floated majestically toward Merjorca and Ursula then settled before them.

"What do you have to say for yourself, child?" she asked softly, looking askance at Ursula.

"V-Vorlorna! I was confused!" Ursula sobbed hysterically. "Merjorca tricked me! I am your most humble servant! I-"

"Lies," the goddess cut off coldly. "You had a choice but your greed and anger robbed you of good sense. I have forgiven you and protected you so many times child, but what good came of it? None. Now you must face the consequences."

Ursula blanched at this. Her eyes widened in horror. Despairing, she looked to Merjorca, hoping the aggressor would save her. Alas, Merjorca would not look at her. Being defeated, and when she had been so close, was most off putting.

"Are you going to do it or shall I?" Vorlorna asked her sister patiently.

Merjorca refused to answer.

The goddess sighed.

"So be it."

In less then a second, Ursula was gone. There was not even a single wail left in her wake.

It was then Merjorca spoke.

"This isn't finished," she said softly, glaring at her sister. "I shall find other champions."

"You may," Vorlorna agreed pleasantly, humour sparkling in her eyes. "Till then, my dear."

With a hiss of distain and frustration, Merjorca left.

Pushing a black curl behind an ear, Vorlorna sighed and turned to address Ursula's army.

"You poor dears," she said, looking forlornly at the creatures. "This is not right, is it?"

The abominations groaned pitifully.

The deity clapped her hands and the monsters exploded into dust.

"All yours, Poseidon," Vorlorna murmured.

The Goddess looked to where Cora was being held.

Orion, Shellsa and Sorja were by her side, stroking the empresses dark hair, weeping.

Vorlorna's lips curled back distastefully.

"This is unforgivable," she muttered and glided over to them.

"We can't release her," Sorja sobbed brokenly. "She's been nailed to the floor."

"Hush, my son," the deity instructed the men. "My daughter has been put through more then what should ever be endured. She will be helped. I will not leave anyone here without aid."

OoO

In a far corner, Ariel slumped against a pillar then slid to the cold floor.

'It's finished,' she thought.

She looked down at Ursula's black organ, still clutched tightly within her tentacles.

It was cold and slimy now. Like cold mud.

"Goodbye, Ursula," the queen whispered.

The heart slipped free. It fell to the floor with a muted slap.

She was tired.

Everything hurt.

She was so, so tired.

"Little queen?"

Weak, Ariel raised her head.

"Is my father safe?" she asked him, barely able to keep her eyes open. "Cora … Genevieve?"

"They're fine. We're all fine. I am just so proud of you."

He was proud of her.

Not angry.

Her lips trembled.

She could feel his hands on her face and yet she felt so far away.

"I love you," she mumbled then fell into oblivion.

OoO

"Is she alright?" Sorja asked, racing toward him, Shellsa not far behind.

"Don't crowd us!" Corin snapped. "I'm taking her home."

"Corin, I think you should take her to Vorlorna," Shellsa said, eying the limp woman warily.

"I will tend to her myself!" Corin snapped. "Go and do what you can for Cora and the others. I am taking Ariel home!"

OoO

_'I will never let you go again,'_

He sped along the sea floor, determined to get her to their chambers as soon as possible.

_'Never,'_

Dormant, Ariel lay in his embroilment like a lissom, wilted flower. Her lips were parted, her chest rose and fell indistinctly.

"We're almost there," her mate whispered. "Everything's going to be alright. We're almost there."

_'I will never let you go again,'_

**_The Cecaelian realm, Ariel and Corin's chambers_**

Solemn, Corin lowered his beloved into the rock pool.

Reaching for a sponge, he gently began to cleanse the woman of the blood, dirt and grime.

Ariel barely stirred.

She was still in an unfathomably deep sleep.

He had seen her mind. The fleeting images of Ursula. He had felt her fear, pain and desperation whilst she betrayed the witch. The agony when the younger queen violated her body.

She had not been subjected to the same mental and physical torture Cora and her daughter had been, for this small mercy the Cecaelian ruler was most grateful.

while Cora and Nona had been placed under Vorlorna's care and were reportedly already improving, they would never be as they once were. The damage had been too vast. Not even the great deity herself could stop the alterations.

Nona, forced upon by her own cousin. who would have thought that Ursula was the niece of Cora and Orion?

"Riddles in the dark," Corin muttered, running the sponge over Ariel's forehead. "Riddles in the dark."

"What troubles you?"

"Ursula," he replied without looking.

Ignoring his less then polite answer to her question, Vorlorna quietly approached the pair, peering curiously at the latent queen from over her subjects shoulder.

"You think you could have lost her to the witch?" she asked.

Corin said nothing.

"My son, Ariel had two great loves in her life. One was you, the other was Eric. Ursula never had a place in her heart."

"Her mother and father did," Corin growled. "How can I not be certain that she was not bestowing anything on Ursula she never got a chance to bestow on her parents?"

Vorlorna laughed softly.

"Do you know how many kinds of love there are? How many forms of desire? Ariel never saw Kunama and Circa as her soul mates. That place was kept for you and Eric and for you and Eric only."

The goddess moved till she was before him, leaning over Ariel's body.

"You saw her fear, Corin. You and your brother believed in her when the others could not. When Ariel wakes she will have need of your trust more then ever before. If you cannot be there for her, what right do you have to be with her at all?"

The monarch bowed his head.

There was a uneasy silence between the guardian and the goddess till she decided it was time to break it.

"Speak your mind, my son. She will not hear you."

"The jealously is fleeting," Corin confessed softly. "It comes then it goes. I confronted her about Ursula once and nearly lost her."

"And today you thought she had played you for a fool?" Vorlorna asked gently.

Corin nodded.

"Ursula was a seductive creature when she was alive. That was how she got what she wanted. She drew people in then she spat them out after they were no longer of any use to her cause.

Ariel knew that the only way to destroy Ursula was to play her game. You must cast this unnecessary jealously aside once and for all and show her your gratefulness and understanding. don't zig-zag back and forth from considerate mate to malicious bully."

Corin said nothing.

"When you looked into her mind, you saw her fear, did you not? She was trying to make you see that she was not happy, that you do not have to feel this mistrust. She will never abandon you."

"When I saw her with the witch, the first thing I felt was that this was a falsehood. She was fighting to save us. Then Shellsa continued to gnaw at my insecurities. Then after the witches demise I felt relieved and so proud of her."

"Zig-zagging," Vorlorna said. "Now you can stop. You can let go."

Corin let out a deep, shuddering breath.

"I can let go," he echoed with the faintest trace of a smile on his rosy lips.

Vorlorna smiled gently.

"Now I must take my leave of you both," she told him. "There are others I must attend to."

"My sister and her daughter."

The deity eyes bloomed with woe.

"I sent Nona to the havens before I came here, Corin. I am sorry, my son, but there was little I could do for her."

"Does Cora know?"

"Cora was the one who asked me to send her there."

Brushing the woman's cheek with the back of her fingers, the Goddess left Corin and Ariel alone.

OoO

Carefully, the monarch eased his queen out of the rock pool, taking her to the clam bed. Sitting beside her, he began to pat her dry with a cloth.

The woman stirred slightly but did not wake.

On impulse, he gently lifted her tentacle.

"Hello," he whispered, in awe. "Fancy seeing you here."

Hanging off the left and right opal suckers, were two small eggs.

OoO

Ariel woke many hours later, cocooned and pleasantly numb.

"Mmmm," she moaned, blinking. "I'm awake."

"Hello," her mate said looking down at her.

"Hello," she replied softly.

"You're an amazing piece of work, did you know that?" Corin told her.

Ariel grinned sleepily, stretching her arms. "You're not all that bad yourself."

He trialled a finger down her nose, considering her thoughtfully.

"How did you know what to do?" he asked.

**_Flash back, the topaz shrine_**

"Please help me," Ariel whimpered, heart thundering in her breast. "I'm afraid. You cannot imagine how afraid I am."

"Yes I can, child."

Whirling around, the queen stared at the deity.

"My children are in danger," Vorlorna said quietly.

Ariel swallowed thickly.

"We are," she murmured.

The Goddess smiled.

"Sometimes even a deity can make mistakes," she said. "Come here, child. We must settle this once and for all."

Taking the monarch's hands in her own, Vorlorna held Ariel's gaze.

"Remember this," she instructed sagely. "but do not think about it. No one can see this coming, understand?"

"I understand."

**_End of flashback_**

"So that's how it happened," she explained. "Vorlorna could not come to us right away because she was with Poseidon fending off Merjorca. She told me how to keep Ursula at bay by using her greed as a weapon to be turned against her. I was so terrified; I could hardly believe it worked."

The woman turned away from him, biting her lower lip.

"Ariel?"

"What I said … I never meant-I had to say those words, Corin. Please forgive me."

Corin hugged her to him, stroking her with hands and tentacles.

"You were brave. You do not need my forgiveness."

"But I hurt you. I could see it in your eyes. In Shellsa's eyes. You thought I had been lying all along."

She paused, her lips trembled.

"Tell me the truth," she beseeched softly.

He bowed his head, silky black tresses brushing her cheeks and nose.

Ariel reached to hold his face.

"Tell me," she said again. "I need to know."

He blinked, curious eyes full of apprehension.

"I thought I had lost you to her," he began timidly. "That you had abandoned us to save yourself."

"Go on."

"Vorlorna told me to cast my jealousy to the wind. But I cannot simply let it go, little queen. You were stirred by her, surely?"

Ariel was silent for a long time.

When she spoke her voice was calm.

"Stirred, I guess, is the appropriate term. When I first saw her as a mermaid, I did feel a lot of awe and a bit of elation. But when I learnt that she desired me because of you. I was revolted. I never loved her, Corin. I never gave her genuine cause to believe I would want to have a union with her. She scared me witless. It was only my love for you and my real family that kept my façade from crumbling. I cannot say anything else to reassure you except that everything I have shown you, said to you, is the truth."

The woman beneath him tangled her fingers in his hair, waiting for him to speak.

"I want to …" he stopped.

She arched an eyebrow.

"Want to?"

His finger tips brushed delicately against her smooth cheek.

"I want to start afresh," he murmured.

He kissed her lightly. The queen leaned back, moaning softly as their stomachs pressed against each other. The full weight of him around her, on top of her, was comforting. Much better then Ursula's.

She curled her tentacles around him, stroking up his back and arse.

"Easy now," he murmured, brushing his lips against her neck. "We don't want to crush our little ones."

Ariel immediately pulled back.

"Our little ones?" she echoed.

He grinned.

"I saw two eggs only six hours ago," he replied good naturedly.

Ariel closed her eyes.

"I forgot," she said.

"You had a good excuse," Corin told her. "Now ... Where were we?"

OoO

The next day Ariel rose from the bed feeling as if a gigantic weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"How Cora and Nona?" she asked Corin.

He hesitated briefly.

"Cora is recovering. But she will be broken for a long time, Ariel."

"What happened to Nona?"

"She died," he answered regrettably. "Cora consented for Vorlorna to take her back to the haven.

The queen frowned.

"So there are something's even Vorlorna cannot fix?" she asked somewhat wryly.

"Cora and Orion have to learn to live with what had happened and mend on their own," Corin told her sagely. "One day it will all be a faded memory. Till that day comes we must be there to help them."

"Yes," Ariel agreed sagely. "We must."

**_The Cecaelian presence chamber_**

"The mer king and Genevieve would see you." A guard announced.

"Show them in," Corin said.

Moments later, Triton floated into the chamber very solemn indeed.

behind him, biting her lip anxiously was Genevieve and her family.

Beside Corin, Ariel felt her stomach twist into uncomfortable knots.

"Triton," Corin greeted in a tone that suggested candidness and some curiosity. "What can we do for you?"

"It has been three weeks since the invasion," Triton said. "I wish to return to my kingdom and make arrangements for my leave taking."

"Leave taking?" Ariel repeated, frowning. "What are-"

Corin put a hand on her arm.

"You are returning to Poseidon's haven?" he asked.

"Yes."

Corin looked to Genevieve.

"My parents and I have spoken with Triton. We agree that the attack on the mer people was unwarranted," she told Corin and his queen. "I beg for forgiveness from yourself, the queen Ariel and king Triton for my folly. As punishment I ask to be taken to the surface and changed into a human."

Genevieve's mother bit her lip. Her father put his arm around her.

"You have admitted that what you did was wrong," Ariel said.

"I have been humbled by past events," Genevieve replied.

"As have we all," Triton added.

He looked to his daughter.

"I will never understand how any of this was ever possible," he told Ariel. "Yet I believe that you are my daughter and that the child you bore is my grand child. Forgive me for my words of earlier, Ariel. I am leaving for Poseidon's haven, I wish for there to be no ill will between us."

Ariel smiled radiantly and leapt down to embrace him.

The mer king recoiled.

Ariel's face fell slightly.

_'It's better then nothing,_' she thought.

"Genevieve … arrangements for your undeviating return to the surface will be conducted as soon as possible," Corin said wearily. "I will also see to it that your family visits you on a frequent basis."

Genevieve bowed her head.

"Thank you," she said. "You are too lenient."

_'No I'm not,'_ Corin thought unable to not see Genevieve's sister and mother bit their nails, their eyes well up with tears.

"Corin, she was swayed. This was Ursula's doing! Please make her see sense!" Genevieve's father pleaded.

"No!" Eric's widow shouted. "This is what I want. I have children to raise. They will need me. I need them. I want to be with my sons."

Corin nodded.

"They should not be without their mother. Go to them."

Genevieve bowed again. She caught the gaze of Triton and Ariel and nodded respectfully then taking her leave of them.

"Genevieve," Ariel called.

The woman stopped and turned.

"Yes Ariel?" she asked softly.

"Thank you for giving Eric what I could not."

A sad smile graced the Cecaelian woman's lips.

"He was an incredible person. We are both fortunate to have known him." She paused. "I thank you for saving our lives. I will make sure Eric's sons remember you."

After watching her leave, Ariel turned to Triton.

"I thought you were beyond this petty hatred," she said coolly.

"Ariel," Corin growled.

"I have recognised you as my daughter. But I cannot take you back into my affections nor can am I able to give them to Andrina or Kali. Please, daughter. I have tried."

"He has," Corin said. "This is hard for him, Ariel."

Triton nodded to the Cecaelian then addressed Ariel again.

"I have promised Corin and his siblings that your sister, Aquata, will unify our people with your own in my stead. There will be no more war or discrimination between our two species."

_'Fine words, but it still feels as though you cannot bear the sight of us,'_ Ariel thought scornfully.

_'See reason. He is leaving for a different haven. You will never see him again,'_

With effort, the queen forced a small smile on her lips.

"Then I hope you will be happy, father," she said, determined not to weep. "I hope you see our mother."

Triton brightened at this. For a moment, she believed she had seen a handsome young man.

"I should hope so, Ariel," the mer king replied. "I should hope so."

OoO

Ariel sat back against her throne, staring at the spot her father once occupied.

Corin reached for her hand, tangling his fingers with hers.

"It will get better in time, little queen," he told her gently.

Ariel smiled weakly.

"I know," she replied.

**_The presence chamber, three months later_**

"So you're leaving us?" Corin said to the emperor and his mate.

"It's time I went back," Sorja said. "And I think it will do Shellsa and I the world of good."

"We will miss you," Ariel said, smiling.

Shellsa bit her lip then hurried over, hugging the queen tightly.

"Ugh, you're squeezing me!" Ariel laughed, returning the embrace.

"That's not a squeeze!" Sorja growled and hugged his sister in law.

"Look after my nieces and nephew, madam!" he reminded, tapping her playfully on the nose.

Rolling her eyes, Ariel swatted his hand away.

"I'll bring Kali over to visit you as soon as you've settled," she told them then went to Corin's side, taking his hand. "But you will come and see us before the birth."

"We will certainly be here for the unification celebration, but we might be busy with our own reproduction plans, but we'll surely try," Shellsa promised gaily.

Sorja looked to his brother.

"Tell Cora and Orion we want to see them soon?" he asked. "We're fine with them not being able to see us off."

Ariel bit her lip, feeling uncomfortable.

Corin nodded.

"We will."

**_The topaz shrine_**

It was the day of the celebration of the goddess. Both Ariel and Cora had decided to look in the garden for decorations for their hair.

Ariel wanted white lilies, Cora could not decide between burnt orange lilies or white ocean rose petals with pearls.

Arm linked with Cora's, the younger woman floated in companionable silence by her side.

"So … how are you?" the queen asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Cora smiled faintly.

"I can enjoy a proper night's sleep," she replied.

Ariel smiled.

"That's good."

Closing her eyes, Cora inhaled the sweet fragrance of the flowers.

"Years and years ago we used to dance here. Sing here."

"I slapped Corin here."

The empress burst out laughing.

"I remember," she giggled. "You told me he had tried to woo you while you were courting Sorja."

She stopped laughing and wiped at a dark tress, tucking it behind her ear.

"I miss it, you know. The past."

"So do I."

Cora licked her lips.

"I want to sit."

"Of course."

Ariel helped the empress to a stone chaise lounge near the statue.

Everything was silent save for the whoosh of bubbles and the occasional deep breath.

"When she had you …. How was it?" Cora asked.

Ariel lowered her head.

"Painful. bloodcurdling. I nearly let her know …. But I didn't."

"You mean you couldn't?"

"Yes, sorry. _Couldn't_. I aroused myself for her. It hurt so much. I kept thinking that I had to make her believe me or I'll die."

Cora stared at her lap.

"I begged her to stop," she murmured. "I remember screaming. The pain. The heat from her tentacles touching me, tearing me apart. I tried to kill myself numerous times but she always found a way to keep me with her."

Ariel made a sympathetic noise and squeezed Cora's hand.

The empress looked at the queen.

"It's like a rope, isn't it?" she asked. "No matter how hard you fight to free yourself she always manages to draw you back in."

Ariel reached for Cora, hugging her gently.

"It is," she replied knowingly. "But she's not here. She will never hurt us again. Now put your head on my lap and I'll comb out the tangles in your hair."

Eyes watering faintly, Cora obeyed. Closing her eyes and sighing whilst Ariel, in a sisterly fashion, combed through her dark tresses with her fingers.

OoO

"Feeling better?" Ariel asked, letting the silken ebony tendril drift from her finger tips.

Cora, content, smiled and nodded.

"Much."

"Let's see what we can find then."

Rising from the seat, the women linked arms again, floating back to the garden.

"I've finally made a decision," the empress told Ariel, her pink lips curling into a decidedly joyful smile.

"You have? Out with it."

"I am going to wear pearls and white rose petals in my hair. What do you think?"

**_Corin and Ariel's chambers_**

"Dostayia, can you hold this for me?" Shellsa asked.

Willowy with dark brown hair and warm hazel eyes, Dostayia, formerly the mer woman Andrina, nodded and took hold of the brown curl between her fingers whilst Susannah and Mischa helped grind the crystals for the sparkling dust.

"You do not want to be out there," Nina told everyone. "Sebastian's about to explode!"

"Poor Sebastian," Ariel cooed. "I warned him about tackling our music too soon, that crab relishes a challenge."

"Poor us," Cora corrected. "If the music's not to his liking we'll never hear the end of it,"

"I think he thinks if he doesn't impress Vorlorna this evening he'll incur her wrath upon himself," Shellsa said with a giggle.

"No, she won't do that," Dostayia said with a wry grin. "Maybe turn him into a tone deaf turtle and leave him that way for a week!"

Doubling over, the women burst into mad peals of laughter.

**_The topaz shrine_**

Following Vorlorna, Corin, Ariel, Cora and Sorja floated into the sparkling chamber.

The goddess smiled graciously at her people then nodded to the very nervous looking Sebastian.

"Oh mon!" the crab muttered, perspiring rapidly.

The music slid slowly into the ears of everyone, then quickened in pace.

"I think it's time to dance." Vorlorna said to the Cecaelians behind her, eyes sparkling mischievously.

Cecaelians, mer people and other creatures followed her lead in a mass of black and colour.

Ariel gave a shriek of joyous delight as her beloved mate picked her up and spun her around. From the corner of her eye she saw her sisters with Flotsam and Jetsam, she saw Aquata, the mer people's new queen, laughing gaily and twirling freely and flirtatiously.

'Everyone is happy,' she thought. 'It's the way it should be,'

Looking up at Corin, Ariel saw that he had been thinking the same thing.

OoO

The festivities had come to an end.

Weary, but elated, Sebastian bowed to Vorlorna.

"Well done, Sebastian," the deity said warmly. "You have done so well."

Carefully, she picked him up and kissed him on the head.

"You can write a symphony for me," she added, setting him on the floor next to Flounder.

"Jumpin Jelly Fish!" the crab exclaimed hence turning a greater shade of red then he actually was.

OoO

Watching the streams of guests leave the chamber, Cora excused herself from her mate's side.

"I must speak with Vorlorna. I will not be long," she murmured.

Orion nodded.

"I will meet with you in our chambers in an hour or so," he replied, squeezing her hand.

"I love you," the empress said with a soft smile and took her leave.

OoO

Meanwhile, no one noticed this; the topaz statue formed a small crack.

**_Cora and Orion's chambers_**

Vorlorna touched her warm finger tips to Cora's forehead.

"Are you certain, child?" she asked softly, her brow farrowed with concern. "You were so happy moments ago. Once you leave you cannot come back."

"I am barely a shadow of my old self," Cora replied, weary, aching body pressed against the wall of seal hide pillows. "I want to be free of this. I want to see my daughters and granddaughters again. I want to be able to go to sleep without having nightmares."

The goddess sighed.

"I will happily take you with me, but you must discuss this with your loved ones. Remember, once you leave them you cannot return."

A single crystalline tear slid down Cora's white cheek.

She swallowed thickly.

"I know." she whispered wiping the damp trial away. "I will tell them. I will tell Orion now."

**_Corin and Ariel's chambers_**

"Orion," Corin greeted, pouring wine into a goblet. "I wasn't expecting you."

The head of the guard floated over to his side, eyes troubled.

"Cora is leaving for the haven," he told the monarch. Frowning, he looked down.

"You're spilling the wine, Corin," he pointed out.

Corin looked down, stopped pouring, then stared aghast at his fellow Cecaelian.

"My sister has said this?" he asked.

Orion nodded.

"From what it looks like, the damage is irrevocable."

Corin bowed his head.

"Can we change her mind?" he asked slowly.

Orion burst out laughing.

"You should know better then anyone that you can't change Cora's mind. She has to do that on her own."

Corin laughed weakly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That's true," he admitted with a rueful grin. "Are you going with her?" he asked.

Orion was silent.

"I want to," he replied frankly.

_'But you don't think you can,'_ Corin thought.

"I think you should," he told Orion.

OoO

Later that night, Corin presented a very delicate subject to his mate.

"Cora and Orion are leaving for the haven," he said carefully.

Ariel sat up, shocked.

"What?" she exclaimed. "They never told me!"

"Cora wants to wait till after the birth. I am actually supposed to withhold this information from you, little queen."

Perturbed, the woman resumed her place beside him.

"Why are you telling me now?" she asked after a moment.

"Because you are strong enough to hear this."

"But we need them here with us!" Ariel whispered. "She's our sister. Orion is our friend."

Corin reached for the woman, pulling her to him.

"Cora is in great pain. She has been for months," he said. "Here she has to live with a reminder of everything Ursula did to her and to Nona. in the haven, she may find peace."

Ariel closed her eyes.

This was not how it was meant to be. Hadn't they lost enough people already?

"Let them go, little queen," her mate beseeched.

She sighed.

"I will let them go," she told him. "But as long as I know you will never leave me."

"Will you do the same for me?" he asked her.

"You know I will."

Corin kissed her lightly on the mouth.

"I love you, little queen," he said. "How could I ever abandon you?"

**_Sobe's chambers_**

"Well, it's time for your lying in, my dear lady," Sobe announced two months later. "No doubt Corin will be pleased that you're not harassing anyone with pregnancy mood swings."

Ariel groaned.

"I hate confinement!" she grumbled. "It's boring. No wonder I get so snappy."

"I can remember your first Cecaelian pregnancy," Cora remarked. "We shared a chamber because I had been carrying Nona at the same time. None of the males wanted to go near us because we kept snapping at them."

Ariel laughed.

"I remember that. Goddess! I'm going to be monstrous!"

**_Ariel and Corin's chambers_**

Two months later …

Teeth barred, hissing like a serpent, Ariel swiped at her mate with a tentacle.

"Oi!" Corin shouted in protest.

Upon hearing the racket, Sobe, Shellsa and Cora entered to see what was going on.

"Oh no," Cora groaned, smacking a hand to her forehead. "He just had to look at the eggs, didn't he?"

"We told him not to," Shellsa sighed. "The stupid, stupid man."

There was a feral snarl.

"Bloody Hell woman! Stop throwing yourself at me!"

Sobe rolled her eyes.

"Come on ladies, it's time for some damage control."

"I'm not restraining her again," Shellsa said, rearing backwards.

"Neither am I," Cora added firmly, eying the angered Cecaelian queen warily.

"Duck!" Sobe cried.

The women dodged as Corin came hurtling toward them, crashing into the wall behind them.

Satisfied, Ariel resumed her place on the clam bed and began to comb her hair.

**_A chamber_**

Five months later …

"Urrrghhhh!"

Lying against Corin, Ariel whimpered and gritted her teeth together.

"Just one more push and the egg will be out," Sobe said. "Corin, keep talking to her."

"Easy," the monarch murmured, rubbing her belly. "Just one more. One more."

"Ohhh … Owowowowowow!"

"Come on, sweeting. Keep pushing."

"I can see the egg!" Cora exclaimed excitedly. "One more push, Ariel."

There was an awful stretching then a wet, slippery sensation.

"And here's egg number one," Sobe announced proudly. "Well done, my dear."

"Ohhh, it hurts!" Ariel wailed, completely unaware of what she had accomplished.

"It's just one more egg, little queen, then you'll be able to hold them," Corin promised. "Push, that's it. Good girl. You're nearly there."

"He's right. One big push and he'll be with you and his big brother," Sobe said, her eyes gleaming from all the excitement. "This little one definitely wants to come out."

Ariel flung her head back and screamed.

OoO

"Two healthy boys," Sobe announced, pleased. "Would the mother like to nurse them?"

"You know you don't have to ask twice," Ariel said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Pass them here."

Carefully, Corin and Sorja helped the woman into a sitting position then watched as the babes latched onto the teats.

Ariel closed her eyes, breathing deeply as her breasts grew accustomed to the pulling and pushing.

"I'll go and check the well for you," Sorja said and darted off, the women close behind.

From behind, Corin lifted her off the bed, carrying her to their chambers.

"Can you fetch Kali for me?" Ariel asked, settling against the mountain of pillows, "I think she would like to meet her little brothers."

He nodded.

"I won't be too long," he told her.

As soon as he had left, Ariel looked down at the twins.

Her gaze drifted to her second born.

He had already finished and was sleeping soundly, lips parted in contentment.

"Caspian," she said. "My son."

She reached out, taking a peek at his tentacles.

Blue, like his fathers.

She smiled and let the small limb flop against her belly.

Her first born, Baarj, released the teat and yawned widely.

"Go straight to sleep my boy. We have all the time in the world."

There was a dove like coo, Ariel turned her attention toward the sound and grinned.

"Hello my little lady!" she said happily. "Here are your little brothers?"

Seated in her fathers lap, little Kali cooed again, looked to her mother then back at her half brothers.

Corin laughed softly.

"What?" Ariel asked.

"She wants a sister."

The queen groaned.

"Not right now, my dear," she said, giggling. "Perhaps next year."

The princess pouted.

**_The presence chamber_**

Situated between Corin and Sorja, Ariel beamed with pride as Queen Aquata stood amongst her people, before the Cecaelian and mer folk priest, vowing solemnly to be an ally and friend to the Cecaelians.

For a moment, the queen's gaze drifted to the empty space Cora would have occupied.

The empress and her mate had left for the havens three days prior to the unification ceremony. There had been tears, but Cora and Orion had seemed in a state of great amity during the goodbyes.

It had been the right thing.

Her friend was at peace at last.

"We will always be with you, all of you," Cora had promised, embracing her. "Take care of my niece and nephews. I am so proud that Vorlorna chose to adopt them."

Ariel smiled radiantly at the memory, her heart lightened.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for everything."

**_The topaz shrine_**

Another crack appeared on the amber surface, distorting the glistening cheek.

Floating before it, Vorlorna bowed her head.

"It is time," she murmured.

**_The presence chamber_**

The chamber was empty save for Corin and Ariel who were seated in their thrones.

"It's over," the queen said softly.

Corin leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.

"So what happens now?" she asked herself.

What else did this world have in store for them?

"My children."

Ariel watched Vorlorna merge from the shadows, a gentle, loving smile gracing her lips.

Corin slid off his throne, Ariel close behind, and bowed respectfully to the deity.

"Thank you for adopting our sons," he said. "We are both very grateful."

"I wanted to give you both joy. You have been through so much. Ordeals which have diminished so many of my children's pride and strength."

"How … How are Cora and Orion?" Ariel asked. "We miss them."

"Well. Cora has recovered fully. She is with Nona and her grand children."

"But their souls were obliterated," Corin pointed out. "How was it possible?"

"A Cecaelian soul can never die, my son. It can become lost, become Evil, but it can never be destroyed unless by myself. Jola and Bashee's souls came to me the moment Ursula killed them."

"And Morgana and her parents?" Ariel asked.

"They went to my sister. They pledged their allegiance to her it is only fitting."

"So we will have to deal with them again," Corin muttered acidly.

Vorlorna shook her head.

"No, child, you will not."

Corin's brow farrowed in surprise.

"No?" he echoed.

"What is this all about?" Ariel asked, confused.

"It is time for Cecaelians to leave this world," the goddess explained calmly. "It is time for Humans and non magical creatures to take over. You have done all the things I had hoped you would. You showed compassion, strength and courage when it was needed. You gave love freely and openly. Words cannot express how very proud I am of you both. That is why I am bringing you home."

"Home," Corin murmured.

Ariel frowned.

"The mer people are going to Poseidon's haven?" she asked.

"They are," Vorlorna replied.

"Then I will never see my sisters again. The unification was for nothing!"

"Hush my dearest. It was not for naught and you will see your sisters. Poseidon's wife, Amphitrite, is a good friend of mine. We were able to bring the God to a decision we think will please everyone."

"What is it?" Corin asked.

"A mixed haven," Vorlorna divulged happily. "For mer people, Cecaelians and sea creatures. Separate havens are no longer necessary."

The Cecaelian monarch looked to his queen.

"What say you, my love?" he asked softly, gently entwining his fingers with her own.

Ariel looked to the Goddess then to her mate.

_'No more pain, no more death, no more goodbyes …'_

"Yes," she whispered.

"Then it is done," Vorlorna said. "I will give you time to make the necessary arrangements. Be prepared for a large welcome. They have been waiting for a long time for all of you."

"But what of Genevieve and her family?" Ariel asked. "She will not want to leave her children."

"Genevieve has decided to be a complete human," Vorlorna told her. "Her family may choose to her rather then leave with you, that is their choice and their choice alone. Either way, I will not have them separated."

**_The topaz shrine_**

There was a great reverberating crack.

The beautiful topaz statue fell heavily to the ground, shattering into millions upon millions of golden pieces before gradually becoming billowing dust.

**_Ariel and Corin's chambers_**

After making travelling arrangements for her children, Sebastian and Flounder, Ariel wanted some time to herself.

Sitting on the clam bed, the queen reached for the tome Sorja and Shellsa's son, Ragr, had given her whilst she was still a mer woman.

Tenderly, the woman opened the book and began to read.

**_The entrance to the Cecaelian realm_**

Corin was floating beside Sorja and Shellsa when Ariel found him.

"What's that?" he asked when she settled beside him.

"It's the book Ragr wrote. I wanted to bring it with me."

The queen then gave Sorja and Shellsa a mock peeved look.

"You know, some of it is not completely accurate!" she declared haughtily. "He made at least fifty mistakes!"

"You can lecture him when you see him," Shellsa laughed, linking her arm with Sorja's.

"So where are we going?" the emperor asked curiously.

"Yes, how do we get there?" Shellsa added.

"We go into the west," Corin replied.

And thus, the mer people and the Cecaelians left the realm.

Some glanced behind them; others faced onward, excited about returning to their real home and to loved ones they had lost.

OoO

"Do you think humans will ever need us? Or even see us?" Ariel asked Corin as they glided swiftly along the ocean path.

He shrugged.

"We may influence their dreams from time to time. But I cannot say what else will happen."

Ariel nodded.

"I wonder if they will ever tell a tale of a little mermaid who traded her voice for human legs?" she asked.

"Don't be silly, little queen," Corin growled, yet amusement was sparkling in his strange coloured eyes.

"They could also follow it up with a tale about the Cecaelian she dreamt about whilst being married to her handsome prince," Ariel added playfully. "The Cecaelian she loved more then life it's self."

"They could," Corin agreed. "Now that is a tale I would like to hear."

That being said, the children of the Goddess entered the haven where they would always be happy.

**_The end_**

**_Authors note_**

Thanks for reading this story. It has been an absolute pleasure writing it.

Peace, love and all that jazz J Leah.


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